In his Speech, Governor Simon Lalong of Plateau State said the state government is in active collaboration with the Power Sector, Jos Electricity Distribution Company.
Plateau State also has a history of being the launching pad of many programmes and projects not only in the Broadcast and Solid Mineral Industries but also in the Power Sector. We pride ourselves as the home of the first Hydropower Plant in West Africa, which was built and commissioned in 1923.
Plateau State also has a history of being the launching pad of many programmes and projects not only in the Broadcast and Solid Mineral Industries but also in the Power Sector. We pride ourselves as the home of the first Hydropower Plant in West Africa, which was built and commissioned in 1923.
The importance of this National Power Sector meeting cannot be over-emphasized considering that the availability of Electric Power, is a sine qua non to any meaningful industrial development in a nation. It may interest you to know that the Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, SAN was in Jos last week to open the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) Clinic, and one of the fundamental factors identified for the success for these enterprises is the availability of regular power supply. This agrees with the emphasis we are putting on infrastructural development as a key Policy Thrusts of our Administration.
The Plateau State Government is fully committed to working with the Federal Government and Private Sector Investors towards realising increased and stable power supply to our citizens in the urban and rural areas. This will not only improve their social well being but also enable them to engage in meaningful economic activities.
As a State, we are currently focusing on maximising our economic potentials in Agriculture, Solid Minerals and Tourism. Good power supply will enable investors to add value to agricultural products from the farms, process the minerals from the mines, and also improve services at hospitality and tourism industry. It is in the light of this that I wish to appeal to the Honourable Minister to help expedite the completion of the 132KV transmission line, from Makeri to the National Independent Power Plant (NIPP) Sub-Station in Pankshin, to improve the quality and quantity of power supply to the Central and Southern Senatorial Zones of Plateau State, where the bulk of our agricultural activities take place.
Two major players in the Power Sector, Jos Electricity Distribution Company (JEDC) PLC and Nigeria Electricity Supply Company (NESCO) Ltd are located in Plateau State. The Plateau State Government is in active collaboration with both JED Company and NESCO to ease their operations, by creating the enabling environment in terms of security and community relations, as well as investing in the provision of power distribution assets in rural communities.
We wish to commend the efforts of the Federal Government for her intervention in this area through the Rural Electrification Agency (REA). However, permit me to further crave your indulgence, Honourable Minister, for the resumption and completion of work at the numerous R.E.A. project sites all over the State, that have now remained abandoned for many years. As a State, we are intervening by trying to complete some of these projects for the benefits of our citizens, but our limited resources will not allow us to take over all of them.
We are in support of the National Power Goal of 30:30:30 being pursued by Nigeria towards not just improving power supply, but doing so with emphasis on increasing the contribution of renewable energy in the National Energy Mix, as we join the world to combat and mitigate the adverse effects of climate change. As you already know, Plateau has the exceptional advantage of enjoying the abundance of four of the Major Renewable Energy Sources of; solar, wind, small hydro and biomass.
At this juncture, I wish to thank the Honourable Minister for granting a licence to one of the Private Sector Developers to build and operate a Seventy Megawatts (70MW) Solar Power Generation Plant in Panyam, Mangu LGA of Plateau State. We are equally grateful to the European Union and the German Federation, for working through the Nigerian Energy Support Program (NESP) with Plateau State, to build the first Solar-Powered Mini-Grid Plant in Demshin and Anguwan Rina villages in Plateau State. In addition to this is the building of the first Solar-Powered Water Heating System at Government Science School, Kuru, near Jos. As a government, we have also completed and commissioned a Five kilowatts (5KW) demonstration plant at the Headquarters of the Ministry of Water Resources and Energy, for powering offices using solar energy in our Green City Program. We have already completed the draft and will soon launch our Renewable Energy Strategy, for up-scaling these initiatives for the benefit of other communities, institutions, office complexes and commercial building.
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