By Fatima Mohammed-Lawal
The Federal Government has commended the indigenous hydro-power project of the National Centre for Hydro-power Research and Development (NACHRED), University of Ilorin (UNILORIN) Centre, which is powered by the university dam.
According to a bulletin by the institution issued on Monday in Ilorin, Prof. Eli Bala, the Director-General of the Energy Commission of Nigeria (ECN), made the commendation during an inspection tour of the NACHRED Centre under construction and the hydro-power project.
NACHRED, an agency under the supervision of ECN, is tasked with organising and conducting research and development in hydro-power management and technologies.
Bala noted that the Chinese built most of the hydro-power projects in the country, noting that it is a welcome development to have a functional hydro-power plant built entirely by Nigerians.
The ECN boss disclosed that UNILORIN was chosen to host the NACHRED project because of its reputation as a renowned institution in the country, promising that the commission will continue to support the university.
He congratulated Prof. Wahab Egbewole SAN, on his appointment as the 11th Vice-Chancellor of the university and prayed God to grant him a successful tenure.
Welcoming the ECN boss, Egbewole commended the commission for choosing UNILORIN for the NACHRED project and charged the hydro-power team to intensify research and get the best output.
Similarly, Prof. Adebayo Salami, the Director of NACHRED, UNILORIN Centre, who took the ECN team on a tour of the NACHRED building and the hydro-power station, explained that it was the first phase of the project.
According to him, 5KW of power is being generated for observation and analysis, with great care being taken to ensure that we do not compromise the dam’s structural integrity. (NAN)
