… ACF Urges Swift Completion To Boost Industrial Development

The Mambilla Hydropower Dam project, a long-delayed initiative in Taraba State, has been reaffirmed as a priority for northern industrial growth, following calls from Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) leader Alhaji Bashir Dalhatu.

The project, designed to generate 3,050 megawatts, aims to address the region’s chronic power deficit, a concern raised during a recent ACF forum.

Dalhatu stressed the dam’s potential to transform northern economies by powering industries and creating jobs, urging the federal government to expedite its completion.

Work on the $5.8 billion project, initially launched over a decade ago, has faced funding and contractual hurdles, but recent statements from energy officials indicate renewed momentum with international partners stepping in.

The administration has committed to resolving land disputes and securing loans to resume construction, with an updated timeline targeting partial operations within five years.

Local communities in Taraba expressed hope, noting that the project could end decades of unreliable electricity, though some residents demanded compensation for affected lands.

The ACF’s advocacy highlights the dam as a litmus test for the government’s northern development pledges, with Dalhatu warning against over-reliance on public-private partnerships without clear accountability.

Opposition parties have questioned the project’s feasibility, but energy experts cited global examples of similar dams as justification.

The initiative remains a focal point in northern political discourse, with stakeholders awaiting concrete progress reports.