Power Plants
The Northern States Governors’ Forum (NSGF) and the General Electric International yesterday signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) for the construction of five solar power plants aimed at generating 500 megawatts of electricity in some parts of Northern Nigeria.
The Borno State Governor and Chairman of the Northern States Governors’ Forum, Kashim Shettima signed the agreement on behalf of the governors while General Electric’s Senior Executive, Western Europe and Africa, Mr Armand Pineda and the President/Chief Executive Officer, General Electric, Nigeria, Dr Lazarus Angbazo signed on behalf of their company in a brief ceremony which held at Transcorp Hilton Hotel in Abuja, according to a press statement from Shettima’s Special Adviser on Communications, Isa Umar Gusau.
The statement explained that based on the MOU, the General Electric would build five solar power plants respectively in Borno, Kebbi, Nassarawa, Niger and Taraba states, each of which would generate 100 megawatts of electricity.
“The project which is a pilot phase, is being coordinated by the Northern Nigeria Global Economic Re-integration Programme, newly created by the northern governors to serve as vehicle for the economic recovery of northern states through international relations on infrastructure, manufacturing, agricultural value chain stimulation and trade and make the region a global player in agricultural export in line with the vision of the late Premier of the region,” the statement explained.
It added that the governors forum engaged the services of Malam Tanimu Yakubu Kurfi, a former chief economic adviser to the late President Umaru Musa Yar’adua, as chief executive officer of the programme.
“The 19 governors of the North jointly created this approach. We want to go beyond lamentation to provide solutions and we all know that power is key to industrial development. With power, we can create jobs, stimulate our economies and make life better for our people. The General Electric has over 120 years of experience in energy solutions and they have been operating in Nigeria for over 50 years. We shall do our part as governors,” Governor Shettima said at the MoU signing ceremony.
Reaffirming their commitment to the MoU, General Electric’s Senior Executive Armand Pineda and President/Chief Executive Officer Lazarus Angbazo both pledged to work hard to realize the objectives of the project.
