North Plans Solution To Power Outages

Dipo Laleye, Minna - 09.02.2008

A committee set up by the Northern Governors forum under the headship of the Niger State governor, Dr Muazu Babangida Aliyu, has recommended the establishment of Hydro power generating plants in all the 19 northern states to serve as solution to the persistent power outages in the region. At the moment, all the hydro power generating plants in the region are located within the boundaries of Niger State.

The committee which met in Minna on Thursday observed that most of the factories and industries in the northern part of the country had collapsed partly as a result of shortage of energy supply.

A communiqué issued at the end of the Minna meeting also said to boost the industialisation of the region, the committee recommended that more emphasis should be placed on the development of the railways.

It suggested the adoption of the Public Private Partnership Initiative (PPPI) policy for the construction of the standard gauge railway line submitting also that the inland water ways in the region should be developed to boost local and foreign investments.