The Managing Director of the National Hydroelectric Power Producing Areas Development Commission (N-HYPPADEC), Abubakar Yelwa, has said the Commission is committed to addressing ecological damage and livelihood losses suffered by communities hosting the Dadin Kowa Hydropower Dam in Gombe State.
Yelwa stated this on Saturday during a courtesy visit to Deputy Governor, Manassah Jatau at the Government House, Gombe, as part of the Commission’s tour of newly admitted member states.
Gombe became a beneficiary of N-HYPPADEC following its inclusion in June 2023 by President Bola Tinubu, alongside Kaduna, Taraba and Nasarawa States.
“While Nigeria benefits from hydroelectric power generation, communities hosting these facilities often bear serious environmental and livelihood burdens. It is our duty to ensure they do not suffer in silence while the nation prospers,” Yelwa said.
He explained that the Commission was established to reverse ecological degradation caused by hydroelectric dam operations and promote sustainable socio-economic development in affected areas.
According to him, communities around the Dadin Kowa Dam have faced flooding, environmental degradation, and loss of farmlands and fishing grounds, challenges which informed Gombe’s admission into the Commission.
Highlighting interventions already executed, Yelwa disclosed that N-HYPPADEC has since 2024 supplied 1,100 life jackets to riverine communities to improve water safety, and provided a flying boat to Kupto Community in Funakaye LGA to support emergency response and transportation.
He added that the Commission installed 34 solar streetlights across rural communities and parts of Gombe metropolis to improve security, supplied 45 power tillers to boost agricultural productivity, and constructed 16 solar-powered boreholes, some already completed.
“We have also desilted over 40,000 linear metres of blocked drainages and culverts to mitigate flooding, constructed classroom blocks in Dukku, Nafada and Yamaltu-Deba, and paid NECO examination fees for 30 students,” he said.
The N-HYPPADEC boss, however, stressed that the scale of challenges in host communities requires stronger collaboration with the state government.
He identified flood control, environmental protection, education, healthcare infrastructure, agriculture, youth employment and skills acquisition as priority areas for joint intervention.
Yelwa also sought the state government’s support in establishing Area Offices in affected locations, noting that such offices are critical for rapid response and targeted project delivery.
“Your government’s deep knowledge of local conditions will help us identify areas in dire need and ensure our interventions are effective and sustainable,” he said.
He commended Governor Muhammadu Yahaya for supporting the establishment of the Commission’s State Office in Gombe, describing it as a clear demonstration of the administration’s commitment to communities impacted by hydroelectric operations.
“N-HYPPADEC is ready to be a true partner in development. Together, we can turn the challenges of hydroelectric power-producing communities into opportunities for growth and prosperity,” Yelwa added.
On his part, Jatau lauded the commission for it far-reaching interventions to the state especially to the dam’s host communities, “there are so many things that they are doing. Other government agencies should visit communities that they are servicing and they want to serve the residents of Gombe State,” he added.
