Keypoints
- The House of Representatives ad hoc Committee on Power Sector Reforms has commended Mabon Ltd. for its management of the 40MW Dadinkowa Hydropower Plant in Gombe State
- Chairman Rep. Ibrahim Aliyu noted that despite low water levels the indigenous company has maintained a production output of 17MW and upheld high operational standards
- The facility was delivered entirely through private capital and credit facilities without the use of government grants or intervention funds
- Since achieving commercial operation in 2021 the plant has generated over 700 million kilowatt-hours of clean energy and supported voltage stability in the North East
Main Story
In a statement issued on Monday during an oversight visit to Gombe Rep. Ibrahim Aliyu who is the Chairman of the House Committee on Power Sector Reforms stated that the Dadinkowa Hydropower Plant represented one of the most successful partnerships in the country.
He explained that the visit was part of a nationwide assessment of the government’s Build-Operate-Transfer concession policy. He further noted that the committee was encouraged by the company’s ability to construct vital infrastructure including the transmission lines and a 4km connection to the national grid.
Aliyu mentioned that while the committee observed some loopholes in the concession agreement they would engage the management to reach a conclusive decision that would advance the power sector. Earlier the Chief Operating Officer of the plant Mr Umar Hashidu stated that the company was committed to providing affordable energy solutions while ensuring environmental stewardship.
He mentioned that the project had overcome complex regulatory changes before beginning commercial operations and had since provided consistent power to the national grid. Hashidu also noted that the plant demonstrated significant operational resilience during grid disturbances by operating in island mode to supply power directly to Gombe and Biu.
The Issues
The primary challenge for the Dadinkowa plant is the fluctuating water level which currently restricts the facility to less than half of its 40MW capacity. Stakeholders must solve the problem of regulatory loopholes within the original concession agreement to ensure the long-term viability of such indigenous partnerships. Furthermore while the plant has been successful in the North East there is a need to replicate this private financing model across other stranded power assets in Nigeria. To fully maximize the impact on the nearby Muhammadu Buhari Industrial Park the government must now ensure that the evacuation infrastructure remains robust enough to handle the plant’s full output when water levels return to peak.
What’s Being Said
- “The current production today is about 17 MW; they are doing well as much as what we have seen and we can attest to that” stated Rep. Ibrahim Aliyu
- Mr Umar Hashidu observed that the project was delivered without grants or Federal Government loans and was fully financed through private capital
- Committee members noted that the 3.5 km 132kv double-circuit transmission line constructed by Mabon Ltd. was a vital link for regional grid integration
- Energy analysts have highlighted that the plant’s ability to operate in “island mode” is a strategic asset for the North East during national grid failures
What’s Next
- The House Committee is expected to hold a reconciliation meeting with the management of Mabon Ltd. in Abuja to address the observed loopholes in the concession agreement
- Efforts to scale up the power supply to the Muhammadu Buhari Industrial Park are anticipated to intensify as more industries begin operations in the Gombe cluster
- The Federal Government may look to the Mabon model as a blueprint for future Build-Operate-Transfer agreements in the renewable energy sector
- Ongoing monitoring of the water usage license and environmental requirements will continue to ensure the plant meets all regulatory benchmarks for 2026
Bottom Line The success of the Dadinkowa Hydropower Plant proves that indigenous firms can deliver complex energy infrastructure using purely private capital. By maintaining production through environmental and regulatory challenges Mabon Ltd. has turned a decades-old concession into a vital anchor for power stability in North Eastern Nigeria.
