STABLE SUPPLY OF ELECTRICAL ENERGY IN NIGERIA

THROUGH DEVELOPMENT OF SMALL HYDROPOWER

SCHEMES AS THE VEHICLE OF INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT

Dr. Newland Gudu Komla

Introduction

Energy in the form of electricity is the life blood and integral component of the overall development of

any nation and one of the critical infrastructural requirements for agricultural, industrial and socio–

economic development of rural or remote environment and socio-technical development of any

nation. Energy is the cause of wars fought in the past and will be the cause of any war to be fought in

the future. This having been said, we must know how important this resource is and also value the

reseources that Nigeria has and therefore has to utilize it for any development socially and industrially

of Nigeria.

It is not the purpose of this writing to go into any research work, but to use or apply the already

research works on hydropower resources of Nigeria to emphasize the the need to embark on a 5-10

year policy of developing all energy resources in Nigeria and raise the country from the woes of

energy insufficiency which is the main cause of industrial underdevelopment, redundancy, criminality,

large immigration of the intellectual capacities of the country to other countries-Brain Drain, humiliation

of national pride before the world.

Europeans and Americans I talk to on these issues of energy insufficiency just smile and wonder how

a country of about 150 million people has not been able to solve its energy problems 60 years after

the country´s independence? I would like to be silent on any answer to this question, however,

Nigeria should accept the challenge and FORCE itself to the level of normal socio-technical

development being the locomotive of energy production in the whole of ECOWAS zone. The result of

this will be national prosperity, job creation, New product development, increase in creativity, increase

in scientific and social development of the country, improvement in the standard and the quality of

living can be assured in all strata of the society.

I invite all governers and leaders of Nigeria to make the Energy Issue a priority. KONEGG-TEC and its

Team are ready to contribute to harnessing all energy potentials of Nigeria both on state and National

basis to ensure that the goals of energy sufficiency are all achieved. This however must be based on a

long-term energy policy of the country. KONEGG-TEC has the advantage of knowing the energy-

sabotage and gentleman agreements of the industrial nations agasinst prosperous nations in Africa

like Nigeria.

The last chance is still availble to achieve these goals. In 5 years, it will be too late taking into

consideration the global rush for the last energy resources and monopoly over energy-producing

technologies which developing world is being deprived of.

It is the fervent desire of all good-minded people to see Nigeria coming up as an energy giant of

ECOWAS and also as a world power in the decades to come.

The First step to this is ENERGY sufficiency through utilizing of the solar & the hydropower potentials

no matter how small this could be. And this must be the challenge the government of the day must

accept!

1. Nigeria and the Energy Situation

World-widely, there are more than 1.5 billion people without access to electricity. It is estimated that

not more than 20%, and in some countries as little as 5%, of the population in Africa (excluding South

Africa and Egypt) have direct access to electricity. The figure falls to 2% in rural areas.

Nigeria electricity generation capacity is currently within the range of about 3,500MW to 4,500MW,

considering the main hydro sites which are at Kainji and Jebba on the river Niger and Shiroro on the

Kaduna River, with generating capacity of 760, 640 and 600 MW correspondingly but are far short of

the required energy demand (in the range of 20,000MW to 25,000MW) to support economic growth

and development.

Generally, the technically exploitable hydropower potential is put at 20,000 MW, though the

hypothetically approximated potential is about 30,000 MW. The large-scale development of hydro

potential is mainly restricted by the fluctuating characteristics of the Nigerian river flows. Usually, the

rivers are characterised with high water discharges in rainy season and with very low discharges in the

dry season. Currently, the main hydro sites are at Kainji and Jebba on the river Niger and Shiroro on

the Kaduna River, with generating capacity of 760, 640 and 600 MW correspondingly.

The electricity generation utility, Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN), has been unable to cope

with the electricity demand that is growing at an average range of 7% annually.

2. Small Hydropower Schemes

The most readily available renewable energy resources is small hydro. Nigeria has the potential of

over 277 dispersed small hydro sites capable of generating electric power of about 734.2MW out of

which only 30MW has been harnessed in 2005, and the potential as at today is estimated to reach

3,500MW.

Since the energy crisis of the 1970s, many developed and developing countries have opted for small scale hydropower with appreciable savings made in comparison to the use of crude oil. Though there is no layed-down definition of the terms Small, mini and micro hydropower systems, the following terms can be adopted for use in understanding the technical description of hydropower schemes apart from large ones:

Small hydropower schemes 25MW – 15MW

Mini-Hydro schemes 15 MW – 15kW

Micro-Hydro schemes below 15kW (Cotton, 1972).

The fact that about 65% of Nigerian rural populace does not have access to the available

conventional power emphasizes the seriousness of the lack of electricity supply to these areas.

Development of economic activities as well as poverty is linked to access to electricity. The need to

address this issue should be the priority in any government policy.

There are various ways to stabilize the electricity supply in Nigeria as follows:

Development of all small hydropower schemes

Solar Grid-connected systems

Solar Off-grid systems ( Island & Backup systems)

Solar hybrid Systems

The methods above will not only revitalize the energy supply systems in Nigeria but will help power the

economic locomotive of the rural areas.which form 65% of the population.

Pictures of Small hydropower Schemes

With the courtesy of EEE GmbH

Below are some tables to elaborate the general Hydropotential of Nigeria.

Table 1.

S/N Name of Site

Site Location

Site State Hydro Source

Average Water Head (m)

Suggested Turbine Set

Theoretical Plant generating capacity (KW)

1 Ayiba Ayiba Osun Dam 11,58 Crossflow 122.40

2 Erinle Ede Osun Dam 10,50 Crossflow 110.94

3 Otin Eko-Odo Osun Dam 13,70 Crossflow 140.75

4 Osun Esa-Odo Osun Dam 11,30 Crossflow 120.00

5 Erinle Nelo-Erinle Osun Dam 28,00 Pelton 285.80

6 Tage Kishi Oyo Dam 11,00 Turgo 116.2

7 Olupo Igbeti Oyo Dam 9,00 Turgo 95.00

8 Fofo Shaki Oyo Dam 14,60 Crossflow 148.26

9 Osune Asejir Oyo Dam 26,22 Pelton 270.00

10 Ona Eleiyele Oyo Dam 14,60 Crossflow 148.26

11 Oyo Awon Oyo Dam 13,00 Crosssflow 130.30

12 Oba Oba Oyo Dam 13,50 Crossflow 139.20

13 Opeki Opeki Oyo Dam 12,00 Turgo 126.80

14 Esinowu Irawo Oyo Dam 10,00 Turgo 105.60

15 Konsi Igboho Oyo Dam 10,00 Turgo 105.60

16 Okugba Ayete Oyo Dam 10,00 Turgo 105.60

17 Ibu Ajura Ogun River 2,00 Propeller 21.13

18 Yewa Yara Mata Ogun River 2,60 Turgo 28.0

19 Ona-Nla Idi Ayanra Ogun River 1,50 Propeller 15.84

20 Oshun Ijebu-Igbo Ogun River 2,10 Propeller 22.20

21 Yewa Eggua Ogun River 1,85 Propeller 16.70

22 Oni Effon Alaye Ekiti Dam 6,25 Turgo 60.06

23 Ero Ikun Ekiti Ekiti Dam 24,50 Pelton 250.96

24 Ele Itapaji Ekiti Dam 25,10 Pelton 264.00

25 Little Ose Egbe Ekiti Ekiti Dam 25,00 Pelton 262.25

26 Erita Igbara-Odo Ekiti Dam 3,50 Turgo 37.00

27 Tagwai Tagwai Niger Dam 15,70 Crossflow 165.95

28 Agboh 2 Agboh Niger River 6,10 Turgo 64.48

29 Mfum 2 Mfum Niger River 7,00 Turgo 79.28

30 Belle Baata Niger Dam 72,60 Pelton 719.00

31 Onitsha Onitsha Anambra River 7,50 Turgo 79.28

32 Itu Itu Cross River River 3,50 Turgo 37.00

*33 Owena Owena Ondo Dam 24,00 Pelton 5000.00

*34 Tunga Kakara Taraba Dam 10,50 Pelton 400.00

**35 Evboro II Benin Edo Run-off River

5,00 Turgo 40.00

*36 Ikeji-Ile Ikeji-Ile Osun Dam 7,50 Turgo 70.00

*37 Awieke Awieke Benue Dam 24,00 Turgo 1200.00

38 Onitsha-2 Onitsha Anambra River 5,65 Turgo 55.00

39 Ikun Ikun Niger River 8,50 Turgo 85.00

*40 Oyan Oyan Ogun Dam 30,44 Pelton 3000.00

41 Ogun-Osun Alabata Road

Ogun Dam 3,30 Propeller 5,20

Table 2.: RIVER BASINS IDENTIFIED HYDRO POTENTIAL

Organization Potential site Status Capacity

Upper Benue River Basins Development Authority

• Jada Dam • Monkin Dam • Kiri Dam • Waya Dam • Dandinkowa Dam

Pre-feasibility level 5MW 500kW 1083kW 61.8kW 33kW

Owena Benin River Basin Development Authority

• River OWENA • Ele River • River Okhuanwan

Pre-feasibility level 1.3MW 1.29MW 600kW

Anambara–Imo River Development Authority

• River Igwu • Imo River • Ivo River

Identified 7.55 kW

Chad Basin Development Authority

• Biu site • Janga Dole Dam site • Majeekin Dam site

Identified

Ogun-Oshun River Basin Development Authority

• Oyan River Dam • Ikere Gorge Dam • Lekan Are Dam • Oke-Odan • Eniosa • Ofiki I • Ofiki II • Sepeteri I • Sepeteri II • Okuku • Igbojaiye

Pre –feasibility level 9MW

Table 3. : Potential Hydro Power Sites in Nigeria

Location River Average Discharge

( m3

/s)

Max. Head Installed Capacity (pf=0.5) MW

Donko Jebba Zungeru II Zungeru I Shiroro Zurubu Gwaram Izom Gudi Kafanchan Kurra II Kurra I Richa II Richa I Mistakuku Kombo Kiri Kramti Beli Garin Dali Sarkin Danko Gembu Kasimbila Katsina Ala Makurdi Lokoja Onitsha Ifon Ikom Afikpo

Niger Niger Kaduna Kaduna Kaduna Kaduna Jamaare Gurara Mada Kongum Sanga Sanga Daffo Mosari Kurra Gongola Gongola Kam Taraba Taraba Suntai Donga Katsina Ala Katsina ala Benue Niger Niger Osse Cross Cross Cross

1650 1767 343 343 294 55 75 55 41.5 2.2 5.5 5.0 4.0 6.5 2.0 128 154 80 266 323 20 45 170 740 3185 6253 6635 80 759 1621 1704

17 27.10 97.50 100.60 95.00 40.0 50 30 100 100 430 290 480 400 670 37 30.50 100 79.2 36.60 180 200 45 49 25.90 31.40 15.25 50 47 15.5 10

225 500 450 500 300 20 30 10 40 5 25 15 25 36 20 35 40 115 240 135 46 130 30 260 600 1950 750 30 400 180 180

Table 4: Small Hydro Potentials in Surveyed States in Nigeria

S/No State River Basin Total Sites Potential Capacity (mw)

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12.

Sokoto Katsina Niger Kaduna Kwara Kano Borno Bauchi Gongola Plateau Benue Cross River

Sokoto-Rima Sokoto-Rima Niger Niger Niger Hadeja-Jama’are Chad Upper-Benue Upper-Benue Lower-Benue Lower-Benue Cross River

22 11 30 19 12 28 29 20 38 32 19 18

30.6 8.0 117.6 59.2 38.8 46.2 20.8 42.6 162.7 110.4 69.2 28.1

Learning from the Actual European Experience.

Until the year 2004 there were about 14000 small hydropower schemes in the 15-member countries of

the EU with the total installed capacity of 10000 MW with yearly power production of about 40000GWh

With the new member countries, there is an additional 2800 Small Hydropower schemes with installed

capacity of 820MW and yearly production of 2300GWh. The average capacity of installed small

hydropower in the EU is 0,3 MW.

Generating energy from hydropower is about 80% of the total energy production using renewable

energy sources altogether.

Deployment of small hydropower is a very important economic factor . Till now, there are about 10000

people employed either directly or indirectly in energy production through.This figure would be rising to

28000 soon.

Example of Wales is very encouraging too. Though the 6 large hydropower schemes generate 1728

MW, about 23 small schemes are in operation and another 30 shall be installed by next year with

average capacity up to about 0,5 MW on the average.It is anticipated that about 1000 MW will be

installed by the year 2020.

Community ownership of these schemes coupled with lower investment and the advantages of them

compared to the large ones make it easier to develop and manage and maintain.

This can serve as an impetus to the decision makers of Nigeria to embark on steps to exploit these

energy potentials that can change the economic landscape of the country.

Recommendations:

Every state should make stable electricity supply a state policy executable now and by the

successors of the state government later.

Every energy resource: Solar, hydropower, wind must be exploited for energy generation out

of which the state can earn part of its revenue and also create jobs directly related to this

venture as well paving the way for the development of other energy-dependent factories.

All other resources which do not offer mature energy-producing projects must be subjected to

feasibility studies.

When financing becomes a problem, other financial institutions some of which are known to

Konegg-Tec in Europe can be contacted with mature projects for financing. They offer help

depending on the scope of the project.

Sources:

1. The Guardian- Small scale hydropower can provide stream of new jobs to rural regions-James

Meadway

2. Background study on Water and Energy issues in Nigeria – J. K. Okoye

3. Solar Energy Potential of Irak – Dr Newland Komla

Dr. Newland Gudu Komla