Governor Hyacinth Alia of Benue State has pledged support for constructing a 460-megawatt hydroelectric dam project in Katsina-Ala Local Government Area.
The announcement came during a high-level meeting at the Government House, Makurdi, on Thursday, October 24, 2024, where executives from Maverick Energy Partners briefed the governor on the proposed Grand Katsina-Ala Hydroelectricity Dam project at Gugur-Mbahav, Shitile.
Initially conceived during former Governor Gabriel Suswam’s administration, the project has evolved into a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) arrangement between the federal government and international financiers. Suswam, now a Senator and former Chairman of the Senate Committee on Power, facilitated this partnership.
“This project represents a transformative opportunity for Benue State,” said Dr. Moses Ukeyima, Chief of Staff to Senator Suswam, who attended the meeting. The dam is expected to create over 2,000 jobs, enhance irrigation agriculture, and reduce flooding in the state by approximately 25%.
The project’s revival aligns with the recently enacted Electricity Act 2023, sponsored by Senator Suswam and signed into law by President Bola Tinubu. The legislation empowers state governments to take leading roles in renewable electricity generation in collaboration with the federal government.
Governor Alia expressed enthusiasm for the project, assuring the delegation of his administration’s full cooperation with the developers and the federal government to ensure its successful implementation.
The dam, when completed, is expected to boost Nigeria’s power generation capacity and contribute to economic development in the North Central region.
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