Nigeria’s Katsina State Embarks on Ambitious Hydro, Solar, and Wind Energy Ventures
The government of Katsina State is set to embark on ambitious hydro, solar and energy ventures, to rehabilitate and revamp its moribund wind farm. According to report from the National Bureau Statistics (NBS), 95% of the population in Katsina State is engaged in subsistence farming and animal rearing.
While fielding questions from newsmen at the site of the project, Governor Dikko Radda, of Katsina State, said the project will provide reliable energy to local infrastructure, including irrigation systems, water treatment plants, households and businesses in the State. “My administration is committed to ensuring the successful installation and sustainability of this power station,” Governor Radda, said.
The initiative will also serve as a catalyst for future hydroelectric developments across the State’s 43 dams.
Only recently, the Katsina State government signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with France-based company Ocean Solutions Energie, for the execution of the hydroelectric project. The agreement was concluded during the Visit of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to France. It will be recalled that Governor Dikko Radda, was part of Tinubu’s delegation to France.
Special Adviser to the Governor on Power and Energy, Hafiz Ahmed, described the MoU, as a critical step in fulfilling Governor Radda’s agenda of promoting green energy and alternative power sources.
The rehabilitation of the moribund wind farm in Lambar Rimi will be done with the assistance of Paris-based Vergnet Groupe, the project’s original equipment manufacturer (OEM). In terms of the solar farm, Governor Radda said it is expected to provide clean energy for around 4,400 homes across Katsina State.
The three projects are in tandem with Nigeria’s 2023 Electricity Act, which emphasises decentralised energy solutions and renewable integration, as well as the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal 7 on affordable and clean energy.