The House of Representatives’ Ad-hoc Committee investigating Nigeria’s power sector reforms and expenditures from 2007 to 2024 has issued a summons to the Minister of Water Resources, heads of key water management agencies, and signatories involved in the 2005 concession agreement for the 40MW Dadin-Kowa hydropower project.
The summons was issued on Wednesday by the Committee Chairman, Arch. Ibrahim Almustapha Aliyu, following a presentation from Mabon Generating Company, the project’s concessionaire. The company’s presentation highlighted gaps, delays, and inconsistencies in the project, which the lawmakers deemed unacceptable.
Aliyu specifically directed the committee secretariat to summon the following individuals and bodies to appear before the committee on 4 December 2025: The Minister of Water Resources; the Managing Director, Upper Benue River Basin Development Authority; the Managing Director, Hadejia–Jama’are River Basin Development Authority; the Chief Executive, Nigeria Integrated Water Resources Management Commission; the Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission; and the individual signatories to the original concession and subsequent addendum.
The Chairman noted that almost 20 years into the 25-year Build-Operate-Transfer concession, the Dadin-Kowa project has experienced prolonged delays, addendums, approval bottlenecks, and unclear responsibilities among various government agencies. He questioned the due diligence carried out by both Mabon and the supervising authorities, stating: “From 2005 to date, 20 years have gone. You entered into an agreement after confirming the facility was fit. Now, midway, you suddenly realise there are challenges.”
The committee also demanded the submission of the appraisal committee report that reviewed the initial concession and recommended the addendum. Additionally, all documents related to the project’s performance assessment, generation output, operational gaps, and payment issues were requested.
Mabon Generating Company reported that it has supplied over 700 million kilowatt-hours (kWh) of electricity to the national grid since 2021. The company further clarified that it has not received any grants or direct loans from the Federal Government since the project’s inception. The Chief Operating Officer (COO), Umar Shehu Hashidu, confirmed that the company submitted all requested documents, including the original 2005 concession agreement, the 2015 addendum, and relevant regulatory approvals.
In a separate development, the Special Adviser to the President on Energy, Olu Verheijen, highlighted the ongoing Presidential Metering Initiative (PMI) as part of President Bola Tinubu’s efforts to stabilise power supply. The initiative aims to eliminate Nigeria’s existing seven-million-meter deficit and reduce electricity sector losses.
Obafemi Sotebo, representing the PMI Director, stated that the initiative is designed to end estimated billing, improve revenue assurance, and establish a nationwide ecosystem of smart meters capable of remote auditing. It is projected that closing the metering gap could significantly reduce sector losses from the current 45–50% to a more acceptable global range of 12–15%.
