Nigeria strives for self-sufficiency in power sector

Vice president
Namadi Sambo has expressed optimism that the country will soon be
self-sufficient in the provision of electricity to every Nigerian.
Speaking yesterday at the Gurara Dam project in Kaduna State, where he
inspected facilities, Mr Sambo said, with the successful completion of
the dam with three turbines, each capable of generating 10 megawatts of
electricity, or a total of 30 megawatts, Nigeria’s stride towards
self-sufficiency in the power sector is on course. He said transformers
and transmission lines are already in place to provide power to the
industrial community in Kaduna State and its environs as soil samples
have been tested, the design completed and materials have also been
imported. Mr Sambo also disclosed that the most important aspect of the
project, aside from power generation, is the irrigation scheme, adding
that the two thousand hectare irrigation pilot to be handled by the dam
has been completed. According to the vice president, the next stage of
the scheme is to equip the dam with the capacity to irrigate 12,000
hectares.

Power provision

Mr Sambo said, “I
am highly impressed and happy that we have successfully completed this
project and very soon the transmission work would be completed. The 30
megawatts power provision has already been agreed upon between the
federal government and the Kaduna State government to transmit power to
the industrial area of the state. This will assist us in reviving our
textile industry and other industries in Kaduna State.”

The vice president
said the new body of water, which has a volume of over 2 billion cubic
metres, has given way for the development of tourism and fishery in
Kaduna, in addition to many other socio-economic projects. He also
noted that the Gurara Dam is just one of the medium-size dams under
construction, noting that there are other dams being constructed by the
federal government such as the Zungeru Dam in Niger State, and the
Mambilla Hydro power project in Adamawa State.

Community development

Showing Mr Sambo
the dam facilities, Marco Assorati, the director of the contracted
construction company, Salini Nigeria Limited, said the transfer of
water from Gurara Dam to the Federal Capital Territory has been
achieved with the completion of the 3,050 metre-long Gurara Dam. He
also said that the construction of the spillway, which is 307 metres
long, has been completed but for one retaining wall on the right bank,
which will be constructed soon.

The vice president expressed appreciation for the company, which
has also erected a primary school, hospital, roads and other social
amenities within the host communities, noting that “for this kind of
economic programme there must be other utilities, and road project is a
major part of it. That will bring total transformation, which the
administration has been preaching in this country.”

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