ABUJA - The Nigeria Committee on Large Dams (NICOLD) yesterday called on the Federal Government to build more hydro power dams to end power problems in the country.
The three large hydro power dams in the country are located at Kanji, Jebba and Shiroro power stations which currently supply 32 per cent of the installed capacity.
NICOLD President, Mr. Imo Ekpo, made the call in an interview with newsmen in Abuja.Ekpo said the way out of the power problem was to build more dams and fully utilise the three major ones in the country. In addition, he said, the nation should diversify its power generation into other sources of energy like Solar, Wind and nuclear as well as other new energy technology sources such as ocean and tidal power.
“Government should also reduce bureaucracy and encourage other independent power producers from states, local governments and private companies to invest in the sector,” he said.
He noted that the country had not sustained it’s hydro Power development, compared with other advanced countries.
“Only 4,000 mega watts of electricity is available to the population of over 140 million. An individual consumes 0. 04 kilo watt in a day.
“Whereas in the U.S, a person consumes an average of 3.8 kilo watt per day and in South Africa, it is 1.5 kilo watt per a day.
“The three major hydro power dams which are not even functioning very well were built before 1990, yet the country’s population had increased,’’ he added.
According to him, Africa had generally failed to tap the hydro potentials in the continent, leaving it with less than eight per cent in hydro power.
“To state that dams are
|
