The National Directorate of Employment (NDE) and the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) have joined together to fast-track small hydro-power plants across Nigeria. The two will collaborate on the fabrication and installation of electricity generation turbines throughout the country.
As part of the joint arrangement the NDE and UNIDO have set up a six-man committee to work out modalities for the implementation of Small Hydro Power (SHP) projects in Nigeria. The committee is expected to come up with a blue print for the successful implementation of the SHP projects under the employment creation efforts of the NDE.
UNIDO representative in Nigeria Masayashi Matsushita said that the organization is presently working out the kinks with NDE to make the small hydro-power projects sustainable in the country. Matsushita is quoted by NDE’s Assistant Director Nnamdi Asomugha as saying that "plans have reached advanced stage in fabricating electricity generating turbines which are critical to the project locally."
UNIDO recently completed a number of small hydro-power projects in Enugu, Bauchi, and Taraba states which are to be commissioned very soon.
Nigeria’s non-petroleum focused industries are falling to the wayside due to a lack of electricity to power them, forcing the industries to downsize and leaving thousands unemployed. UNIDO contends that small alternatively powered electricity is required to help in the rebuilding of these industries and employ those who lost their jobs due to downsizing.
According to Matsushita, another innovative power project known as the biomass power plant is being developed in Ebonyi State which will be powered with rice husks. The energy sector is very critical to the economic and industrial development of any country and inadequate electric power will hinder any purposeful economic advancement, Matsushita said.