Scramble for Farin Ruwa: Nasarawa Governor Sule receives another investor interested in generating hydropower

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Barely one week after hosting an investor interested in generating hydropower at the Farin Ruwa Dam in Wamba Local Government Area, Nasarawa State Governor Abdullahi Sule has again received another investor.

This time, Strom Infrastructure & Management Limited have shown commitment to develop the Farin Ruwa project.

Governor Sule hosted the delegation from Strom Limited led by its protem Chairman and Chairman of Jaiz Bank, Alhaji Mohammed Mustapha Bintube, at the Government House on Tuesday.

Recall that only last week, Governor Sule hosted Mr. Kweku Awotwi, co-founder of Cenpower Generation, a US-based investor that has indicated interest in the Farin Ruwa and Doma dams projects for generating hydropower.

While receiving Strom Limited in his office, the Governor said he saw the great potentials in Farin Ruwa immediately after coming into power in 2019, with his administration taking steps to open up the area for investment opportunities.

“This is a project that we are very, very interested in. This is a project that, on arrival in Nasarawa State, I saw the great potential. There was absolutely no road from Sisin Baki to that project. We came in, we saw the potentials and we believe in the potentials and we build the road.

“After constructing the road, we did another thing to bring life to that area. We were able to lobby the federal government to now identify that area as one of the national wild parks,” he said.

He explained that having been a member of the Vision2020 power committee, he saw the opportunity to fulfil one of the roadmaps to meeting the power needs of the country through generating hydropower at the Farin Ruwa dam.

“When we worked on that committee, one of the areas to generate power was actually hydropower. I’m happy to say that one of the sources is in Nasarawa State. We have no excuse but to follow that up and ensure it materializes and it happens,” he stated.

Governor Sule expressed confidence in partnering with Strom Limited to develop the Farin Ruwa project both for hydropower generation, as well as irrigation.

He said his administration is in a hurry to bring on board all its ongoing projects as well as those identified to hold great potentials for the development of the state.

“Most of these projects that you see are taking place people don’t have the patience to wait for them. So if you have a person who do not understand these kinds of project, he will put in six months, one year into it and he would think it’s a useless thing he will abandon it. I have been part of projects. I know some of these projects take time. I am patient enough. I think I have been patient for five years so I can be patient for another two years for the takeoff.

“I urge you to expedite action in the amount of work that you are doing. Like you rightly mentioned, you are close to the high tension line. You are close also to off takers. You will not have a big problem. If NESCO in Bukuru is excited, you in Farin Ruwa should be ten times excited. Because this is the reality,” he added.

He said his administration is aware that work on the Farin Ruwa dam has stopped after the Federal Government, through the Federal Ministry of Water Resources took over the project but that he has remained relentless in pursuing the continuation of work on the site.

“We want you to also show that amount of interest. We are more than happy to take up equity there. That dam as far as we are concerned even though it has stopped. I have been following it up. The work has stopped and we have been following up for the work to continue. I’m not even just looking at the power generation, I am looking at irrigation opportunities taking place there. They have plenty of fertile land in the area and we can convert most of those areas for irrigation. By the time you have hydropower there, irrigation has even come better,” he added.

He used the opportunity of the visit to emphasized the significance of the Farin Ruwa project to his administration.

“This is a project that is very dear to me, dear to this administration and dear to Nasarawa State. We welcome you and we look forward to ensuring it happens as quickly as possible,” he stated.

Governor Sule said that even though the investor wanted to meet with him in Abuja, he deliberated turned down the request because he needed key ministries and agencies to be available during the meeting.

“I’m happy that you finally came. Musa Weng wanted me to meet with you in Abuja. I said no, I wanted to meet you in Lafia. Because that is where the people are. If I am meeting you in Abuja, it will be just me along but here you are meeting with all the managers that are here. They can actually handhold you into the whole thing. You don’t need to come to my office or to see me or talk to me. Talk to them they will guide you. I will only come in if there is a problem,” he said.

In an opening remarks, protem Chairman of Strom Infrastructure Investment Limited, Alhaji Bintube, said they are in Nasarawa State to complement the good work Governor Sule is doing to bring development to the state.

Bintube explained that Strom Infrastructure Investment is an infrastructure investment manager, a multinational company with a presence in Mauritius, Namibia, UK, and Nigeria.

Also in a remarks, Kolapo Joseph, Founder/CEO of Strom Infrastructure Investment Limited, said they have the unique benefit of being an investor in the North-South Power Company Limited, the concession holder for the Shiroro power plant, as well as NESCO Nigeria for NESCO UK.

“We are very conversant about investment in Nigeria. In our work, we know we have to work with the state. I want to assure Nasarawa State that we are determined. If you see what we are able to do with North-South Power in Shiroro. We have a free school, we have a free health centre there. We also have a series of activities that we do there. We want to even do more. It was part of our business plan that we submitted to the Federal Ministry of Water Resources. But just to assure Your Excellency, that we are here on serious business,” he stated.

In seeking the support of the Nasarawa State Government, Joseph said his company is aware work on the Farin Ruwa dam project has stopped mostly due to paucity of funds but that his company is willing to finish building the dam before generating hydropower.

“We know the Federal Government is starved of funds, so we have to complete the dam first and then put in the power facilities, put in the transmission infrastructure, build the school, build the hospital and other things. It’s all part of the business plan. We are truly committed to do it,” he said.

Earlier in an introductory remarks, former Permanent Secretary at the Federal Ministry of Water Resources, Musa Ibrahim Weng, said they were at the Government House because of the Farin Ruwa project.

Weng recalled that the Farin Ruwa project was started by the state government for the purpose of hydropower generation but that while he was permanent secretary he midwifed the taking over of the project by the Federal Ministry of Water Resources.

“The dam is being constructed, and the next phase and the most important phase is the hydropower component. Because that was what the state government had initially envisaged for the dam. After the construction of the dam, there will be hydropower to generate electricity for the state,” he said.

Weng took out time to commend Governor Sule for his development strides, addressing the Governor as ‘Mr. Project.’

“I was in Lafia last during the campaigns in 2023 general election. As I was driving into Lafia this morning, I felt very, very elated. In fact, I thought I was going into another state. I want to truly commend Your Excellency for the good job that you are doing. Your people should begin to talk about you as Mr. Project. Just like we always talk about Wike as Mr. Project, you are also Mr. Project. As an engineer, you deserve that recognition,” he said.

Also on ground to receive the delegation from Strom Limited were the State Deputy Governor, Dr. Emmanuel Akabe, Commissioner for Environment and Natural Resources, Hon. Kwanta Yakubu, Engineer Yakubu Sulaiman Umar, General Manager, Nasarawa Electricity Power Agency (NaEPA), as well as officials from the Nasarawa State Investment Development Agency (NASIDA), amongst others.