In Nigeria, two United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) backed hydro-power projects are set to be inaugurated. The hydro-power plants, two of four in the works, are located in Bauchi and Enugu States.
In a recent interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) Jossy Thomas the Industrial Development Officer, Renewable and Rural Energy confirmed the dams were complete. "We have completed work on the Waya dam in Bauchi with a capacity of 150 KW and that of Enugu with 30 KW capacity," Thomas said in an interview.
UNIDO has a mandate in Nigeria under its Country Service Framework (CSF) which was finalized in cooperation with the government of Nigeria. The CSF identified rural industrialization as one of UNIDO’s priority areas and sustainable energy as a major program for implementing Component 3, which calls to promoting cleaner and environmentally friendly technologies and policies. One of the resulting programs is in hydropower, having been identified as an appropriate and environment friendly way to bring uninterrupted energy to remote rural villages. UNIDO put the Small Hydro Power (SHP) project put in place drive the hydropower initiative.
The projects, according to Thomas, were a joint effort of UNIDO, the Bauchi and Enugu States and local governments. "UNIDO initiated and provided the equipment while the states and local governments provided other logistics needed for the projects", he said.
Two other projects are being constructed in the Taraba and Ebonyi States. In the Taraba state UNIDO is involved in a joint program with the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) for a 400 MW power project. The Taraba Tunga dam power project is expected to be complete in July 2008. UNIDO is also in the process of developing a power plant using biomass made out of rice husks in Ebonyi State.
