Politics
25 states to benefit from $500m W’Bank loan(SEE LIST)
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25 state governments will be beneficiaries of the newly approved $500m World Bank loan to improve water resource management for hydropower and irrigation.
This was as the Federal Government through the Federal Ministry of Water Resources and Sanitation and the Ministry of Power, on Tuesday signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the World Bank for the implementation of the Sustainable Power and Irrigation for Nigeria project.
The signing ceremony was attended by the Minister of Water Resources and Sanitation, Prof. Joseph Utsev, and the Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu.
The latest development was disclosed in a statement signed by the Special Adviser to the Minister of Power on Strategic Communication and Media Relations, Bolaji Tunji, in Abuja.
The states include Benue, Katsina, Akwa Ibom, Niger, Gombe, Sokoto, Enugu, Bauchi, Cross River, Nasarawa, Ekiti, Kebbi, Plateau, Ebonyi, Zamfara, Abia, Kwara, Imo, Taraba, Kano, Delta, Osun, Jigawa, Edo, and Kogi.
The statement noted that the initiative aims to enhance dam safety, improve water resource management, and boost hydropower and irrigation systems nationwide.
“The Federal Ministry of Water Resources and Sanitation and the Ministry of Power have signed a Memorandum of Understanding for the implementation of the Sustainable Power and Irrigation for Nigeria project.
“The 500 million dollar World Bank SPIN project aims to enhance dam safety and improve water resource management for hydropower and irrigation across 25 states.
In his address, the Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, emphasised the partnership’s importance in advancing sustainable hydropower development and enhancing Nigeria’s energy security.
He disclosed that despite abundant water resources, only 2 per cent of the country’s 14-gigawatt hydropower potential has been utilized, leaving vast opportunities untapped.
He said, “Hydropower currently contributes about 20 per cent of Nigeria’s grid supply, with a potential estimated at 14GW (14000 megawatts) of which only 15 per cent has been tapped.
“This collaboration underscores the Federal Government’s commitment to leveraging our natural resources for sustainable development.
“Through SPIN, we aim to optimize water resources to provide clean and reliable energy while supporting irrigation and agriculture for enhanced food security.”
Adelabu highlighted the MoU as a key step toward harnessing renewable energy, optimizing natural resources, and diversifying the energy mix in line with the Nigeria Energy Transition Plan.
He noted the initiative’s potential to transform the energy landscape and provide sustainable power for millions.
He further stated that under the current federal government administration, measures such as the Electricity Act 2023 are decentralizing the electricity market and enabling subnational governments’ participation.
Adelabu stressed the role of decentralized power systems in enhancing reliability and reducing risks to the national grid.
He also pointed out northern Nigeria’s solar potential, with 8 to 12 hours of daily sunshine, and reaffirmed the commitment to leveraging hydropower and fostering partnerships for a sustainable energy future.
Utsev described the SPIN project as pivotal to boosting food production, creating jobs, and strengthening Nigeria’s economy.
He commended the World Bank as a trusted partner in the country’s development, highlighting the Transforming Irrigation Management in Nigeria project, which concludes in January 2025, as a foundation for innovative solutions in water and agriculture.
As Chairman of the SPIN Preparatory Team, Utsev reaffirmed the ministries’ and partners’ full commitment to the project’s success, expressing confidence in its potential to address Nigeria’s irrigation needs and deliver significant benefits to citizens.
“We are confident that the SPIN project will build on this legacy by boosting food production and meeting the irrigation needs of our growing population,” he added.
“Our collective efforts have brought us to this significant moment, and I am confident that SPIN will deliver the tangible benefits Nigerians are eagerly anticipating,” he said.
A Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, an Accord Party aspirant and about 3,000 other politicians have defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Oyo State ahead of the 2027 governorship election.
Among the defectors was Ademola, popularly known as Lucky, who said his decision to leave the PDP followed a careful assessment of the state’s political landscape and the prospects of the parties ahead of the next general election.
Speaking during the defection ceremony, Ademola described the APC as the party with the strongest political prospects in Oyo State.
“I did my due diligence and realised that any ticket outside the APC is a mere tissue paper that cannot take a candidate anywhere in 2027.
“We are here in our hundreds to formally join the APC, and we promise to do our best in the interest of the progressive party and our dear country, Nigeria,” he said.
Also joining the APC was Ojo, who had been seeking the Accord Party’s ticket in the same constituency.
Ojo said his decision to abandon Accord followed what he described as unsuccessful efforts to establish the party as a credible political alternative in the state.
According to him, the group had invested considerable time, energy and resources in the party before concluding that joining the APC offered a more promising political platform.
“We thought about making Accord a credible alternative in the state, but we later realised that the APC was far ahead of other parties.
“We wasted our time, energy and resources on an unproductive exercise. We later realised it wasn’t worth it, so we decided to pitch our tent with the progressive party,” Ojo said.
The defectors were formally received by the Oyo State APC Chairman, Chief Moses Alake-Adeyemo, who assured them of equal opportunities and fair treatment within the party.
The ceremony was attended by the APC deputy governorship candidate, Adesoji Adedeji, the party’s Oyo South Senatorial candidate, Aderemi Oseni, and other prominent party leaders.
The mass defection comes as political parties intensify efforts to strengthen their structures and build support ahead of the 2027 elections in Oyo State.
Ademola popularly known as Lucky, said his decision to leave the PDP was influenced by his assessment of the political situation in the state ahead of the 2027 elections.
“I did my due diligence and realised that any ticket outside the APC is a mere tissue paper that cannot take a candidate anywhere in 2027.
We are here in our hundreds to formally join the APC, and we promise to do our best in the interest of the progressive party and our dear country, Nigeria,” Ademola said.
Ojo, who was seeking the Accord ticket in the same constituency, also announced his decision to join the APC, describing his previous political efforts with Accord as unproductive.
We thought about making Accord a credible alternative in the state, but we later realised that the APC was far ahead of other parties.
“We wasted our time, energy and resources on an unproductive exercise. We later realised it wasn’t worth it, so we decided to pitch our tent with the progressive party,” Ojo said.
The defectors were received by the Oyo State Chairman of the APC, Chief Moses Alake-Adeyemo, who assured them that they would have equal opportunities within the party.
We thought about making Accord a credible alternative in the state, but we later realised that the APC was far ahead of other parties.
“We wasted our time, energy and resources on an unproductive exercise. We later realised it wasn’t worth it, so we decided to pitch our tent with the progressive party,” Ojo said.
The defectors were received by the Oyo State Chairman of the APC, Chief Moses Alake-Adeyemo, who assured them that they would have equal opportunities within the party.
The event was attended by the APC deputy governorship candidate, Adesoji Adedeji, the party’s Oyo South Senatorial candidate, Aderemi Oseni and other party leaders.
The Senator Sharafadeen Alli Campaign Organisation has described the Oyo State Governor and Allied Peoples Movement (APM) Presidential Candidate, Seyi Makinde, as clueless and a total embarrassment to the people of the State, saying “for failing to address hunger in Oyo State despite increased funds from the federation account, Makinde has shown that he is more than clueless.”
The Campaign Organisation, in a statement by Bisi Oladele, Director of Media and Publicity, said Governor Makinde’s admittance of more money from the federation account to Oyo State was a confirmation of the success of the economic reform policies of the All Progressives Congress (APC) government of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Makinde had admitted in Lafia, Nasarawa State on Monday, that Oyo State received more money from the federation account, but added that he has not been able to reduce hunger in the State.
The Senator Sharafadeen Alli Campaign Organisation, in a statement on Tuesday, said Makinde’s statement, though a function of his level of intellectual capacity, is a sad and clear reality of what Oyo State has been going through in terms of purposeful governance in the last seven years.
If through the ingenuity and purposeful leadership of President Tinubu, Oyo State allocation from the federation account has increased tremendously, should it also be the duty of the President to ensure judicious use of the money?
If you have acknowledged that monthly, you have been getting more money from the federation account, who are you expecting to come and help you to fight hunger in your State? Is it President Tinubu?
Most importantly, this same Governor Makinde has deliberately refused to allow local governments in Oyo State to function. He has criminally been everywhere, opposing local government autonomy so as to continue to spend both the State and local council funds.
Therefore, for the people of Oyo State, waiting a day longer to stop the extension of Makinde’s cluelessness beyond 2027 is what must not be allowed to happen and on February 6, 2027, the governor and the man through whom he desires to extend his clueless government will be rejected by the people.
Bisi Oladele
Director, Media and Publicity
Senator Sharafadeen Alli Campaign Organisation
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