The Hon. Minister of State for Power, Goddy Jeddy Agba, has stated that upon completion of the Zungeru Hydropower project, over 300 highly skilled professionals will be employed.

According to a statement signed by Odutayo Oluseyi, Assistant Director of Press in the Ministry of Power, Agba made this statement on Monday, March 28th, 2022, while witnessing the Non Load Test on Unit 1 of the 700MW Zungeru Hydropower project in Niger State.

In describing the dam’s construction, Agba stated, “the dam is built of a new engineering technology utilizing the Roller-compacted Concrete (RCC) which has ensured the completion of the core civil construction period by more than 2 years while the Electro-mechanical components, particularly the 4-units Francis turbines, are from the reputable world manufacturers.”

He stated that the project’s implementation aims to further enhance the engineering and technical knowledge acquisition of Nigerian engineers in accordance with President Muhammadu Buhari’s Presidential Order No 5, which has tremendously transformed most of the engineers on the project to world class specialists based on acquired expertise on the project.

Agba stated that the economic benefits of the project for the people of Niger State include: Water Supply Schemes for Community Use, Dry Season Farming and Irrigation, Flood Control Mechanism, Aqua-tourism opportunities, and increased economic and social well-being of the host community. He added that President Muhammadu Buhari’s leadership is committed to working together with all strategic partners to achieve the core objectives across the various energy sectors.

While thanking the Chinese government for the unique cooperation and synergy that exists between China and Nigeria, which has been critical to achieving the progress so far, the Minister also thanked the Niger State governor, the good people of the State, and the community, promising that all due compensations would be paid to affected communities through the joint efforts of the Niger State government and the Federal government.

Earlier, Project Consultant Engr. Dr. Johnson Bamidele Olorunsola Adewumi, FNSE Chairman, Decrown West Africa Company Ltd., spoke. On behalf of the Decrown – Tractebel Joint Venture, the Federal Republic of Nigeria stated that upon completion of the project, the Federal Republic of Nigeria will have delivered a world-class project by all standards.

“This project will generate 2,630GWh of clean renewable electricity per year from Nigeria’s second largest dam reservoir.”

According to the Central Bank of Nigeria, it has allocated N42 billion to accelerate wheat cultivation on 132,799 hectares spread across 15 states in the country.
Godwin Emefiele, Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, stated this at the inauguration of the 2021/2022 Brown Revolution Field Day/Harvest in Gabarin village, Ringim Local Government Area, Jigawa State.

Emefiele, represented by Hajiya Sa’adatu Ibrahim, CBN Controller, Dutse Branch, stated that the facility was provided to address challenges in the wheat value chain during the 2021/2022 dry season activities.

He stated that the strategy was based on making high yield seed varieties available through the implementation of a local seed multiplication program, as well as expanding wheat cultivation land through collaboration with state and federal agencies.

According to him, the apex bank seeks to increase the annual cycle for wheat cultivation during wet season activities through international collaboration and to promote Good Agronomic Practices.

“In Nigeria, wheat remains one of the commodities with the highest demand, and despite this high demand, Nigeria produces less than 2% of its annual wheat consumption needs,” Emefiele said.

“In light of the circumstances confronting wheat cultivation in Nigeria, the bank launched a strategic approach in 2020 through its flagship Anchor Borrower Programme aimed at facilitating import substitution by promoting self-sufficiency in the wheat value chain.”

This, he said, encouraged wheat farmers’ income to rise, allowing for more job creation and a ready supply for millers.

He also stated that the bank trained over 250 extension workers with a total reach of over 120,000 farmers in order to cascade learning to farmers in their respective locations via the GAP.

According to him, the apex bank identified, validated, and cultivated demonstration farms in collaboration with the Flour Milling Association of Nigeria to holistically showcase the improved protocol for wheat farming in Nigeria and the impact of GAP on high yields to farmers.

“Four seed companies have been commissioned to process 25,000 metric tonnes for the next planting season,” Emefiele added.

“This strategy aims to reduce wheat imports by 60% in two years and eliminate wheat imports in the long run.”

According to him, the aim is to reduce the gap by a minimum of 15% during the 2021/2022 planting season

Emefiele stated that the bank distributed N975.61 billion to over 4.52 million smallholder farmers cultivating 21 agricultural commodities, among other interventions aimed at addressing financing needs to improve the agricultural value chain.

In his remarks, FMAN Chairman John Coumantaros stated that the organization was dedicated to providing a market for the country’s wheat farmers.

Coumantaros, represented by Segun Flade, stated that the organization was expanding its procurement across the wheat-producing states by adding aggregation, staff, and warehouses.

“Specifically, under the CBN-ABP scheme, we’re establishing procurement centers across 15 northern states to offtake all wheat grain from up to 150,000 farmers,” he said.

Kano, Kaduna, Jigawa, Kebbi, Sokoto, Bauchi, Adamawa, Katsina, Gombe, Plateau, Taraba, Zamfara, Niger, and Yobe were among the states he mentioned.

The Chairman also stated that the association would cultivate 504 demonstration farms in the states in order to provide GAP training to 250,000 farmers under the ABP, as well as loans to over 2,000 outgrowers farmers in Kano, Jigawa, Sokoto, Kebbi, Kaduna, Bauchi, and Gombe States.

“Seed production expansion with six certified seed companies, including both dry and wet season seed production to produce enough seed for 5,000 outgrowers next season,” he said.

“Research and trials on FMAN’s 10-hectare research farm in Jigawa to test new seed varieties and improve agronomic practices, including collaboration with the Lake Chad Research Institute, among others.”

“A portion of it also includes grant funding for the National Agricultural Seed Council to expand their capabilities to test seed quality, certify seed production, and train farmers to distinguish high-quality seed from others on the market.”

In separate remarks, farmers Dauda Ali, Alkasim Aliyu, and Muhammad Ado praised the CBN and FMAN for their efforts to increase wheat production in the country.

Ali stated that the new farming techniques introduced had helped them achieve higher harvest yields.

He also urged the Jigawa State Government to build an access road to facilitate the movement of produce to markets.

Nigeria’s energy transition agenda received a boost on Thursday at the CERAWeek energy conference in Houston, Texas, as the US Government expressed interest in a bi-lateral partnership that would see the conversion of vast gas resources currently flared to ammonia.
Ammonia has the potential to be a huge revenue earner for the country, especially now that the European Union has unveiled its long-awaited plans to make importers and non-EU manufacturers pay for the carbon emissions associated with the goods and materials they sell in the EU, thereby affecting vessels powered by fossil fuels entering EU territory.

Because operating such vessels during that tax regime will be economically unviable, there is a need to redesign their engines; and attention is already being focused on ammonia as an alternative fuel source, to replace heating oil and other fossil fuels. Ammonia is being used because it is not only cleaner, but also a less expensive source of energy.

It invariably means that there will be no easy and appealing market for heating oil, which is one of the most highly sought-after products in the configuration of Nigeria’s refineries.

The EU’s adoption of the Carbon Border Tax has the potential to harm Nigeria’s economy, which is largely supported by proceeds from its hydrocarbon potential.

This would exacerbate the challenge already posed by developed countries’ zealous pursuit of a zero-emissions plan, as a result of lower earnings from Nigeria’s refinery-configured products such as heating oil (i.e. LPFO, HPFO).

The Paris Agreement and the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change seek to limit the development of oil and gas projects in the next two decades in order to pursue more environmentally friendly energy options – from fossil fuels to green and renewable energy.

This poses a significant threat to the country’s major revenue stream, which is why Nigeria’s main focus at the conference was on sustaining current revenue drivers while also considering other viable options.

The Nigerian delegation was led by the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Chief Timipre Silva, and included the Chief Executive of the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission, Engr. Gbenga Komolafe, and the Board Secretary and Legal Adviser to the NUPRC, Barrister Olayemi Anyanechi.

At various meetings with top officials from the global energy circuit, the team continued to drive conversations about energy transition in a multi-track approach.

It argued that rather than abandoning further hydrocarbon infrastructure development and phasing out fossil fuel use within the specified time frame, a multi-track approach with gas as a transition energy source would be fair and just to pursue.

According to Chief Silva, Nigeria already has a transition plan in place that is based on a multi-track approach to developing energy resources. One of these is a focused development of the country’s gas resources, during which time a diversified economy based on technology and other energy sources would be built.

This, he emphasized, would go a long way toward increasing the country’s revenue and sustaining its economy.



Discussions on the subject were conducted from various angles, including focusing on gas potentials and the implications of continued gas flaring and reinjection.



The impact of flaring on the environment and the health of people in oil-producing communities was specifically highlighted as the team investigated concrete solutions to the problem.

The American counterparts agreed on the responsible monetization of Nigeria’s gas resources as a point of convergence. The US team praised the Nigerian government’s multifaceted approach to reducing emissions and made suggestions on innovative ways to develop stranded gas resources in a more responsible manner, including the use of Blue Hydrogen, which is produced when natural gas is split into hydrogen and carbon dioxide using either Steam Methane Reforming (SMR) or Auto Thermal Reforming (ATR) (ATR).

However, carbon dioxide is captured and stored, which reduces the negative impact on the environment.

This, according to the US team, would be a good way for Nigeria to utilize its abundant natural gas resources of over 200 trillion cubic meters.

During one of several meetings attended by US Secretary of State for Energy, Jennifer M. Granholm, and another attended by Honourable Harry Kamian, Assistant Secretary of State for the US Department of State Bureau of Energy Resources, the US Government expressed interest in collaborating with the Nigerian government to develop the country’s gas resources, acknowledging that Africa may indeed require separate recognition, as long as development continues.

Besides that, the US Department of Energy promised to assist Nigeria in establishing a framework for the development of its gas resources in collaboration with development partners.

The Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) team met with Brendan Kelly of the US Department of Commerce and Puneet Sharma of CyanNH3 to discuss extensive methane abatement opportunities in Nigeria, in partnership with the US government, particularly in the area of conversion of gas to ammonia for use as fertiliser or export.

The team emphasized that the proposed EU Carbon Border Tax would put severe financial pressure on the use of LPFO and HPFO by vessels and provide a renewed impetus for producers around the world to accelerate efforts to reduce their carbon footprints, creating a massive opportunity for the use of ammonia as the preferred fuel.

In response, the US team promised to collaborate with the Nigerian government by funding a study to assess the viability of making Nigeria an Ammonia net export nation from the 218 sites that flare an average of 0.7 BCF of gas daily, with skid mounted innovative ammonia production equipment and other virtual pipeline development devices.

Besides that, the US Departments of State and Trade agreed to collaborate with Nigeria by funding a study to mature these initiatives into full gas commercialization and convert waste into a source of federation revenue generation while eliminating environmental degradation.

Finally, the successful launch of the project would not only provide the country with another massive revenue stream, but would also address the issues of environmental pollution and the resulting health challenges faced by residents of oil-producing communities as a result of gas flaring.

In essence, the success of ongoing discussions with the U.S. government and proposed development partners will not only arrest environmental degradation and guarantee the health of the people, it also has the potential to generate much needed foreign exchange for the country.

In essence, the success of ongoing discussions with the US government and potential development partners will not only halt environmental degradation and ensure people’s health, but it also has the potential to generate much-needed foreign exchange for the country.