Gombe State Governor, Muhammad Inuwa Yahaya has described the completion and commissioning of the multibillion-naira 40-megawatt hydropower project in Dadin–Kowa, Gombe State, as a milestone in the energy independence of the North East subregion.
Governor Inuwa stated this at the commissioning ceremony of the project by the Minister of Water Resources, Engr Sulaiman Adamu over the weekend.
He said the Dadin Kowa Multipurpose Dam has become a very crucial project to the livelihood and socio-economic growth and development of not only Gombe State but the whole of North East sub-region.
According to him, Gombe State, under his administration, is on the path of economic independence and sustainability.
He commended the recent constitutional amendment that permits state governments the right to generate, transmit and distribute electricity, saying it will go a long way in galvanizing stakeholders at subnational level to exploit their potentials by leveraging on the comparative advantage they have.
“Our administration is already working on the 200MW solar power project under the Northern Governors’ Renewable Energy Initiative. In addition, we are working to harness our hydropower potential at Balanga Dam in order to boost Gombe State energy capacity.
“We are intentional in creating the enabling environment for businesses to thrive through deliberate formulation of favourable policies and provision of infrastructures and services to support business creation and growth.
“Our administration is committed to working with private investors and development finance institutions to plea a sluggish comparative advantage for the benefit of our people”, he stated.
Governor Inuwa also commended all stakeholders and collaborators especially the Federal Government under President Muhammadu Buhari for its zeal and commitment in ensuring the project reaches its logical conclusion despite the technical, financial and sundry challenges faced on the course of its execution. He vowed to ensure that the people of Gombe State benefit immensely from the project.
Minister of Water Resources, Engr Sulaiman Adamu, explained that the power component of Dadin Kowa Multipurpose Dam was built in 1988 with the reservoir capacity of 2.8 billion cubic litres. The goal was to provide 6000 hectares of irrigation, 40MW of electricity and 30,000 cubic meters daily water supply to Gombe and environs.
He revealed that the statutory inspection, testing and certifications of the project by the relevant agencies of government have been completed, making it ready for commissioning. He appreciated stakeholders who participated in the making of the success story especially Mabon Limited, the concessioner Company that undertook the project.
Speaking earlier, the Managing Director, Upper Benue River Basin Authority, Engr Abubakar Halilu Muazu, explained that the concession agreement that saw to the construction of the power plant was earlier signed in 2005, but due to some legal, technical and financial challenges, it was only able to be completed in December 2020.
In his remarks, the Managing Director of Mabon Limited, Engr Richard thanked all stakeholders especially the federal and state governments as well as the host community for their efforts and contributions towards making the project a reality.
He said, the power station has so far contributed 401 gigawatts of power to the national grid and gave an assurance of effective and efficient handling of the facility.
