By Salisu Sani-Idris
The Hydroelectric Power Producing Areas Development Commission (HYPPADEC) will ensure that no benefiting community is left behind in this years project execution.
Mr Joseph Ityav, HYPPADEC Chairman, who disclosed this on Tuesday at the HYPPADEC 9th Council meeting in Abuja, said that the project would be part of its medium-term strategic plan.
The strategic plan aimed at improving the welfare, security and development of HYPPADEC states and focussed on 10 key areas of education, healthcare, security, economy, environment, agriculture, energy, road infrastructure, water and youth empowerment.
Ityav said that projects on erosion control would be deployed to HYPPADEC states to reduce the burden of the yearly flooding in such benefiting communities.
All the projects we have set in place to carry out in this accounting year are based on the cost sector that is captured in a medium-term strategic plan.
We have been able to execute projects in almost every community of HYPPADEC and based on the plan that we have on the ground now, we will be able to take more projects to the host communities.
We have started on a good note; we have tried to take projects to every committee of HYPPADEC based on enumeration exercises that have been carried out in the past. So this ninth meeting is to strategise and make sure that every HYPPADEC community is captured in what we do, he said.
The HYPPADEC member states are Niger, Kebbi, Kwara, Benue, Kogi and Plateau while Taraba, Gombe and Kaduna states have applied to be part of the commission areas.
Alhaji Abubakar Sadiq, HYPPADEC Managing Director, said the commission would this year give priority to erosion control and transportation infrastructure.
I think we are going to pay specific attention to erosion control, transportation and infrastructure, especially the provision of ferries and high bulk goods conveying ships along the communities.
These are some of the major challenges that the communities are facing, which we have not addressed so far, he said.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the 9th council meeting would consider reports from Policy Guideline and HPPADEC Medium and Strategic Plan as well as the Monitoring and Evaluation Committees.(NAN)
Edited by Ismail Abdulaziz
Deputy Editor in Chief,
Head of Website/Solutions Journalism desk.
Source: NAN News