From Charity Nwakaudu, Abuja
A memorandum of understanding (MOU) on the implementation of the hydropower component of the Sustainable Power and Irrigation in Nigeria (SPIN) Project has been signed by the Ministries of Water Resources and Sanitation and Power.
The Ministers of Water Resources and Sanitation, Professor Joseph Utsev, and the Minister of Power, Chief Adebayo Adelabu, alongside both permanent secretaries from the ministries, signed the MOU in Abuja.
Professor Utsev, while expressing delight at the new opportunities that the SPIN project would create for Nigeria, said the MOU was in line with the ministry’s mandate of enhancing food production and eradicating poverty across the country.
He appreciated President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for accepting the SPIN Project and other programmes aimed at ensuring Nigerians enjoyed the dividends of democracy.
On his part, the Minister of Power, Chief Adebayo Adelabu, described the project as an opportunity for the country to achieve energy security and sustainability.
Earlier, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Water Resources and Sanitation, Richard Pheelangua, stated that the MOU signified a critical step towards harnessing the potential inherent in the country’s hydropower resources.
The Sustainable Power and Irrigation for Nigeria (SPIN) Project is a World Bank $500 million developmental objective to strengthen dam safety and improve the management of water resources for hydropower and irrigation in selected areas of Nigeria.
The project comprises four components, which include institutional strengthening and capacity building for water resources management, supporting the rehabilitation and revitalisation of 40,000 irrigated command areas, improving dam operations and enhancing dam safety, as well as effectively implementing, monitoring, and evaluating the project activities.