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The Senate on Thursday asked the federal government to include funding for the Mambilla Hydroelectric Power Project in the Renewed Hope Infrastructure Development Fund of President Bola Tinubu.
The call was a sequel to a motion by Haruna Manu (Taraba Central) during the plenary.
The 3,050 MW hydroelectric power project is located in Kakara village of Taraba State, North-eastern Nigeria.
It was initiated by a Chinese company, CGGC, at a total cost of $5.9 billion.
Based on the existing agreement, the company will fund 85 per cent of the project while the Nigerian government will fund the remaining 15 per cent, which is equivalent to 868,800,000 million dollars.
When completed, it will be the largest power-generating installation in the country and one of the largest hydroelectric power stations in Africa.
Successive governments have refused to commit the 15 per cent funding.
Mr Manu, while presenting his motion, said Nigeria is losing from the benefits it ought to have been deriving from the project.
He listed the creation of 55,000 jobs, construction of resettlement homes for over 100,000 people and hauling and supplying of over 2.7 million tons of steel as some of the benefits.
Others are the production and supply of over 76 million tons of quarry stone and the opportunity for Ashaka and Benue cement to produce and supply cement.
The senator noted that governors from the North-eastern states have made efforts to ensure the take-off of the project but it was not successful.
He demanded that the Senate Committees on Finance, Appropriation, Power and Water Resources collaborate with the federal government to ensure the release of the 15 per cent of the Mambilla Hydro Power Project for commencement of the project.
Mr Manu also requested that the 3,050 MW capacity should be retained.
The Senate Chief Whip, Ali Ndume seconded the motion.
Mr Ndume, who represents Borno South Senatorial District, said the persistent power collapse was due to a lack of coordinated generating capability.
He urged the federal government to prioritise the implementation of the Mambilla project.
“The issue of power is something that is very important. In fact, if it is the only thing that this government at the end of it will be proud of, I think it is worth it.
“You can see that we have been witnessing collapsing here and there, this is because there is no coordinated generating capability and having this in the North-east and also knowing fully that the North-east, out of all the zones in terms of infrastructural development is behind and the issue of Mambilla is of concern to all because it is linked to power and power is very important and critical at this time in the country,” he said.
