The federal government has concessioned the Kashimbilla multipurpose hydropower station, situated in Takum Local Council of Taraba State, to former Minister of Defence, General Theophilus Danjuma (rtd).

The development marks a significant shift in the management of the facility, which plays a crucial role in power generation, irrigation, and flood control in Taraba and some neighbouring states.

Handing over the 40-megawatt dam to the new owner at the weekend, the Minister of Water Resources and Sanitation, Prof. Joseph Utsev, said the facility was conceived to check imminent danger from the collapse of Lake Nyos in neighbouring Republic of Cameroon.

The engineering design, as made known by the minister, incorporated 40 megawatts of electricity, among other benefits.Speaking through the Director of Public Private Partnership, Zaccheaus Akinjogbin, the minister explained that the concession began in 2021 following fulfillment of all due process, with the aim to provide jobs, lift Nigerians out of poverty, provide health care and improve the general standards of living of Nigerians.

He applauded the TY Danjuma Foundation for the construction of the Kashimbila Airport at no cost to the Federal Government, which he believed would facilitate movement to the dam.

In his remarks, Danjuma said the hydro dam was the largest federal investment in the state. He stated that a lot needed to be done, as the whole state needs to be rewired because substandard cables were used, which could explode if the energy from the dam is released.

On his part, Governor Agbu Kefas said the law would ensure that the state has a legal framework to commence full operation of the electricity market for the hydropower project to be adequately regulated for the benefit of all.

Also speaking, the Commissioner for Energy and Economic Development, Naomi Agbu, pointed out that the occasion represented a departure towards energy independence, economic growth, and sustainable development.