On Thursday, July 4, the Senate instructed its committees on appropriation, power, and finance to investigate the Mambilla Hydro Electric Power Project (MHEPP) contract, worth $5.792 billion, dating back to 1999. The Senate is concerned about the project’s lack of progress since its inception.
The decision followed a motion by Senator Harun Manu, who highlighted the project’s potential benefits, including boosting the national grid, creating jobs, promoting industrialization, and enhancing tourism.
Honourable Babangida Nguroje, a former deputy speaker of the House of Representatives, praised the Senate for its commitment to ensuring the project’s completion.
Senator Manu explained that in 2017, the federal government signed a contract with a Chinese consortium to build the 3,050-megawatt project in Taraba State. The funding was structured to have 85% from the Chinese consortium and 15% from the Nigerian government.
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Senator Aminu Waziri Tambuwal urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to make the Mambilla project a priority for his administration.
Senator Sani Musa added that “a legal dispute with Sunrise, a company that had sued the government, has been resolved, allowing construction to continue.”
Nguroje emphasized that “the project could generate over 55,000 jobs, build resettlement homes for 100,000 people, and support the construction and manufacturing industries.”
He praised the 10th Senate and North East Governors for their efforts to revive the project under President Tinubu’s administration.
Nguroje concluded that “adding 3,050 megawatts to the current 2,000 megawatts would significantly improve Nigeria’s power sector and job market.”