Electricity: FG To Generate One Megawatt From Small Dams

Vice President Namadi Sambo has said that the Federal Government hopes to generate one megawatt of electricity from each of the small dams to solve the electricity challenges in the country.

Sambo disclosed this when he received members of the Governing Council of the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, led by its Pro-Chancellor, Amb. Bunu Sharriff Musa, who were on a courtesy visit to the State House, Abuja.

“As part of efforts to improve power supply, the government is to build small hydro power plants in the numerous dams in the country,” he said.

Sambo said the government was considering building a power plant at the Ahmadu Bello University Dam to address the electricity challenges in the institution.

“Part of the programme I was promoting in Kaduna, which I’m now promoting nationally, is to build small hydro power plants of less than one megawatt.

“If you check the whole of ABU, Zaria, the university may not require more than one or two megawatts,” he said.

Sambo said the government would undertake feasibility studies to ascertain the specific capacity of the ABU Dam, adding that dams like that were capable of generating one megawatt of electricity.

On the numerous challenges facing the institution, Sambo pledged that the government would look into the possibility of assisting it to proffer solutions to them.

“I have been assured by the Education Trust Fund and the Petroleum Technology Development Fund (PTDF) and other government agencies that ABU is part of their intervention programmes aimed at revitalising the education sector,” he added.

Earlier, Musa expressed appreciation to the vice president for his support to the institution when he was governor of Kaduna State.

“The university prides itself in having several of its alumni as ministers, permanent secretaries and National Assembly members,’’ he said.

He observed that 13 of the ministers serving in the Jonathan administration were products of the university.

He also expressed concern over a ceiling of 5,500 students given to the university by the National Universities Commission when more than 50,000 students seek admission into the institution.

Other members of the governing council on the entourage were the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Abdullahi Mustapha, the Deputy Vice Chancellor, Prof. Idris Isa Funtua, the University Librarian, Prof. Zakari Mohammed, Princess Henrietta Ogar and Dr Stephen Oru, among others.