- The governor of Niger State recently inaugurated the ministry of power and energy.
- The new bill empowers the ministry to produce energy from solar, hydro, biomass, and other sources.
Niger State can now generate power, sell, and compete in the energy industry. This comes as the governor, Mohammed Umar Bago, set up the new Ministry of Power and Energy in line with the signing of the Electricity Bill 2023. Niger State Commissioner of Power and Renewable Energy, Yarima Lokogoma, disclosed that Niger State would be able to sell electric power to other states and enjoy uninterrupted power supply due to the establishment of the new ministry, the enacted electricity supply bill, and the refurbishment of the four dams in the state.
The commissioner made this known during his first interactive session with the Permanent Secretary, Lucky Barau, and senior staff of the ministry, where he called on the personnel to brace up for the challenge ahead. Lokogoma said, “On the power side, you and I know the incessant power supply issues in Niger State and Nigeria. We are coming to partner with stakeholders to ensure that electricity is constant. I am looking at a time when Niger State will generate its own electricity, consume, and even sell to other states that don’t have. The governor is excited about the prospect, and it is achievable.”
He stated that the new law had given the state authority to obtain a licence to generate power through hydro, solar or other sources, stressing that Niger’s strength lay in solar, biomass and hydro. “The state expects us to initiate energy policies and ensure that those policies are implemented. It expects us to initiate a good business climate that will attract participation and then private practice. It expects us to develop a legal and institutional framework that could allow for healthy competition in the industry, among others.”
According to the commissioner, the four dams, Jeba, Kainji, Shiroro, and Zungeru, would work with the ministry. He further stressed the responsibility of the ministry to provide power to both the rural and urban areas to drive the economy of Niger State and Nigeria as a whole.