FG assures delivery of Mambilla hydropower project

The Minister of Power, Engr Sale Mamman, has again expressed the Federal Government’s commitment to the delivery of the Mambilla Hydro Electric Power Project.

He said a key inhibitor to execution is the ongoing legal challenges with the former contractor, Sunrise, which admittedly has encumbered further development of the project.

While giving the assurance, on Thursday, when he received the management team of the Chinese Firm handling the project including the Vice President of the China Gezhouba Group International Engineering Company, Mr Yuan Baoy, he said the Government is in the process of finalising settlement terms leading to an amicable arbitration, to ensure the project’s take off.

He stressed that in spite of the challenges experienced in implementation, all efforts towards delivery were at no point relaxed since the reinvigorated effort of the FG to resuscitate the project.

“At this juncture, Concurrently, President Muhammadu Buhari had directed the Nigerian Sovereign Investment Authority, NSIA, to review the progress so far and carry out value engineering of the project in pursuit of optimised implementation and delivery,” he said.

He noted that Government’s investment outfit has been given 3 months to submit a comprehensive report detailing the findings of the value engineering and also provide recommendations to move the project forward.

The Minister also disclosed that, as part of the process of acquisition of the land, the Ministry of Power had signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Taraba State Government, following which, land and aerial survey activities were successfully conducted.

“Sensitisation and enlightenment activities have also been carried out with the full buy-in and participation of stakeholders and host communities,” he added.

On his part, the Project Delivery Committee(PDC) Chair, Engr Faruk Yabo, while giving some insights into take-off of the Mambilla Hydropower project, said the Ministry of Power has already committed N200million to the training of junior and mid-level artisans, ensuring the availability of manpower for the project.

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