The United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) has handed over the administration of UNIDO-Regional Centre for Small Hydropower Development in Africa to the Energy Commission of Nigeria.
UNIDO’s Country Representative/Director, Dr. Patrick Kormawa said this was part of organisation’s efforts to promote energy in Nigeria.
Represented by Dr. Raymond Tavares, Deputy Country Representative/Investment Development Officer, Kormawa said energy is one of the three thematic operations of UNIDO.
“This project is linked to renewable energy and one that is much more sustainable in Africa. The Small Hydropower (SHP) Programme in Nigeria is part of UNIDO’s wider renewable and rural energy effort. Although the project is administratively closed, technical implementation and joint cooperation will definitely continue.”
Acting Director General of the Energy Commission, Professor Eli Bala explained that the project was developed into a regional centre in 2005.
He said: “In 1994, the commission constituted a national committee for planning and development of small hydropower in Nigeria. In assessing potentials of small hydropower in Nigeria and conducting feasibility studies in this regard, UNIDO and the ECN organized a national stakeholders’ forum in 2002 on renewable energy technologies on small hydropower on rural development and industry.
“This led to the signing of an MOU between UNIDO and ECN, with regards to the establishment of pilot project, capacity building and training. The centre project originally planned for three years was extended to seven by UNIDO.”
The SHP programmme includes human capacity building, replication and scale-up, technology transfers, demonstration and institution building which took place in Enugu, Bauchi and Osun states.
Trainees made two 35KW cross-flow turbines which were installed in Ikeji-Ole, Osun State. As part of the project, the National Association for Science and Engineering Infrastructure also fabricated a 100KW capacity cross-flow turbine after receiving hands-on training from Indonesia.
UNIDO is currently overseeing the installation of the 1.2MW SHP plant at Amoke/Ugbokpo, Benue State, the Nigerian component of the African Adaptation programme funded by Japan.
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