WHAT EVER HAPPENED TO KAINJI DAM? – The Story of Hydro Electric Power Abandonment in Nigeria

Kainji Dam is a dam across the Niger River in Niger State of western Nigeria. Construction of the dam was carried out by Impregilo (a consortium of Italian Civil Engineering Contractors) to designs by Joint Consultants, Balfour Beatty and Nedeco, and began in 1964.

The dam was designed to provide Nigeria a generating capacity of 960 megawatts (1,290,000 hp); however, only 8 of its 12 turbines have been installed, reducing the capacity to 760 megawatts (1,020,000 hp) and today that is mere history as occasional droughts have made the Niger's water flow unpredictable, diminishing the dam's electrical output.

What beats me is how the government of Nigeria utterly abandoned a veritable power option in lieu of complete privatization of the power sector, a process seriously flawed with a lot of dubious acquisition, bids and acquisition afterwards.

Today stories are rife with petrol station owners in cohorts with these private power generators paying bribes behind the scenes so that many Nigerians will have no option but to continually buy fuel to power their generating sets.

As though that were not enough, it would seem that suppliers of power plant are also part of the sabotage of regular power supply to a country such as ours.

The level of incompetence shown by both government and the private sector is not only shameful but a slap on the face of productivity, creativity and every competent mind able to produce and create so that they can earn the rewards of their hard work.

The generation of power cannot be left in the hands of private hands who don't give a damn about providing prompt and best practices for services paid for. Gas, windmills, dams, and other forms of energy should also be functional, each servicing key sectors of the economy.

Nigerians need to rise and speak with one voice! If they don't this life we live here is exactly because of our inaction and not because enough prayers have not been said already.

WHAT IS A COUNTRY WITHOUT POWER?