By Mohammed Baba-Busu.
Governor Umaru Bago of Niger State has tasked the National Hydro-Electric Power Producing Areas Development Commission (N-HYPPADEC) to execute more Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) projects in the state.
The governor gave the task when he received the commission’s Managing Director, Alhaji Abubakar Yelwa, who led N-HYPPADEC‘s management on a courtesy visit in Minna on Tuesday.
Bago,who assured the of the state government’s commitment to partner with the commission, urged the commission’s boss to do more on CSR, especially within Minna metropolis.
“As your host, we need to see more CSR in the whole of Minna, where you are hosted, there are no classrooms, halls or schools that have been provided by the commission.
“We want to see you provide computers, learning materials, internet services and others, especially for those communities ravaged by insecurity,” he said.
Bago said the state’s newly created Ministry for Power and Renewable Energy would work closely with the commission so that its policies and programmes were in tandem with the state government’s.
The governor, however, appreciated the commission’s management for the visit and pledged his administration’s commitment to partner N-HYPPADEC to move the state to greater heights.
“HYPPADEC is our brain-child, because when we were in the parliament, we pursued it to become a reality, as such, we will continue to support the commission to succeed,” Bago said.
The governor also urged the commission to support the state government on the sensitisation of communities to heed to NiMET and NEMA warnings of impending floods so as to save lives and property.
Earlier, Yelwa said the visit was to reaffirm the commission’s commitment towards sustaining and boosting the existing cordial relationship between HYPPADEC and the state government.
He said the commission was established with the mandate of formulating policies and guidelines to manage ecological challenges caused by the operations of hydroelectric dams.
Yelwa disclosed that the commission was operating in 17 local government areas of Niger with three area offices in Bida, Headquarters and New Bussa.
He said the commission had recorded milestone achievements in designing and implementing meaningful life-changing programmes and projects across all the member states.
Yelwa enumerated some of the commission’s projects in Niger to include distributing life jackets to riverine communities, and clearing snags/tree logs on River Niger to reduce boat mishap incidents, among others.(NAN)
