Northern Governors and General Electric sign MOU for 5 power plants ‎

Left to Right: The Chairman, Northern States Governors' Forum, Governor Kashim Shettima of Borno State, President/Chief Executive Officer, ‎General Electric, Nigeria, Dr Lazarus Angbazo;  General Electric's Senior Executive, Western Europe and Africa, Mr Armand Pineda, the CEO, Northern Nigeria Global Economic Re-integration Programme, Tanimu Yakubu Kurfi at the signing of MOU between General Electric and Northern Governors for the construction of five solar power plants in Borno, Niger, Kebbi, Nassarawa and Taraba States... which held at the Transcorp Hilton Hotel in Abuja on Monday. 

The Northern States Governors' Forum and the General Electric ‎International, on Monday signed a memoranda of understanding for the construction of five solar plants that aim at generating 500 megawatts of electricity in some parts of Northern Nigeria. 

Borno State Governor and Chairman of the Northern States Governors ' Forum, Kashim Shettima signed the agreement on behalf of the ‎Governors while General Electric's Senior Executive, Western Europe and Africa, Mr Armand Pineda and the President/Chief Executive Officer, ‎General Electric, Nigeria, Dr Lazarus Angbazo signed on behalf of their company in a brief ceremony which held at Transcorp Hilton Hotel in Abuja. 

Based on the MOU, the General Electric which has 120 years experience in power generation, is to build five solar power plants to be located in Borno, Kebbi, Nassarawa, Niger and Taraba States which each of the plants expected to generate 100 megawatts of electricity totaling 500 megawatts across the 5 States. The electricity is meant to stimulate economic activities and social services in the affected States through boosting agricultural food processing, small scale businesses in addition to supplying electricity to schools and hospitals. 

The project which is a pilot phase, is being coordinated by the Northern Nigeria Global Economic Re-integrationProgramme, newly created by the Northern Governors to serve as vehicle for the economic recovery of northern States through international relations on infrastructure, manufacturing, stimulate agricultural value chain and trade and make the region a global payer agricultural  export in line with the vision of late Premier of the Region. 

The Governors Forum led by Governor Kashim Shettima, engaged the services of Malam Tanimu Yakubu Kurfi as Cheif Executive Officer of the Programme. Kurfi was Chief Economic Adviser to late President Umaru Musa Yar'adua and he has wide contact with leading development companies and financial institutions across the world. 

"The 19 Governors of the north jointly created this approach. We want to go beyond lamentation to provide solutions and we all know that power is key to industrial development. With power, we can create jobs, stimulate our economies and make life better for our people. The General Electric has over 120 years experience in energy solutions and they have been operating in Nigeria for over 50 years, we cannot have a better partner than GE. We shall do our part as Governors, this I will assure you. We are deeply committed to this agreement" Governor Kashim Shettima said at the MOU signing ceremony.

The Northern Governors Chairman enumerated challenges of poverty, unemployment, poor access to education, poor healthcare amongst other underdevelopment indications threatening the north while concluding that the power can provide a vehicle for the north to reposition itself for a better future. 

The CEO, Northern Nigeria Global Economic Re-Integration Programme, Tanimu Yakubu Kurfi said he took up the challenge ‎put forward by the Northern Governors as a result of strong passion and commitment to aggressive development of the north as so far shown by the Northern Governors since Governor Shettima became the forum's chairman in 2015.

Reaffirming their commitment to the MOU, General Electric's Senior Executive, Western Europe and Africa, Mr Armand Pineda and the President/Chief Executive Officer, ‎General Electric, Nigeria, Dr Lazarus Angbazo both pledged that they would work round the clock to realize the project for the benefits of citizens of the five States. 

GOV KASHIM SHETTIMA, NSC TO FAST-TRACK DRY PORT IN MAIDUGURI

SHETTIMA, NSC TO FAST-TRACK DRY PORT IN MAIDUGURI

GOVERNOR KASHIM SHETTIMA 

Governor Kashim Shettima is to work with the Nigerian Shippers Council to fast-track the establishment of the  Maiduguri ‎Dry Port project which was approved by the Federal Government since 2006. When established, the port will have all the features of an International Port with all agencies similar to those at the Ports in Lagos, Port Harcourt and other parts of the country, for import and distribution of goods from Nigeria to countries like Chad, Niger, Cameroon, Sudan and Central Africa. 

This was the outcome of a visit and courtesy call by a delegation from the Nigerian Shippers Council led by the Executive Secretary and Chief Executive Officer, Hassan Bello. The visitors included the some shippers and the management of a company granted consent to operate the Maiduguri Port. 

Bello acknowledged that Borno Government has already allocated a good site for the Port while the Council is ready to work with the State to have a Project Implementation Committee to comprise officials at the Federal and State level to begin work. The E.S said the site allocated by Borno Government will require roads, electricity, water and security posts, all of which Governor Shettima promised to provide. 

"The Maiduguri Port will be just like the Apapa Port, it will have all the departments and all stakeholders in the maritime industry, the only thing that will differ from Maiduguri Dry Port and Apapa will be water. However, containers are going to be shipped by railway soon as they arrive Lagos or any Port. A Port is not meant to be warehouse, it is a place for clearing goods. We don't have any need of stocking containers in Lagos, we will transport them to Dry Ports as they land from ships  Goods will be cleared here in Maiduguri without the need to go to Lagos or any other port. The project will create at least 5,000 jobs apart from the economic benefits associated with Ports. ‎There will be customs, NDLEA, freight handlers, agents of all kinds all in Maiduguri. The benefits are so enormous" the Executive Secretary said. 

Governor Kashim Shettima who received Bello and his team said he was committed to fast-tracking the establishment of the Port in Maiduguri given the economic benefits that would help in the fighting poverty that contributes to insecurity. 

"If we are serious about addressing the Boko Haram insurgency, we have to fix Borno and rest of the northeast. Some may see the Boko Haram crisis as Borno's problem but then, there is always a ripple effect when a population center within a region is either hot or cold. Borno is to the northeast, what Kano is to the Northwest; Borno is to the northeast, what Lagos is to the Southwest and what Port Harcourt is to the South-South. It is expectant that if the economy of Lagos boils, the southwest would catch cold. Borno is gateway to export of goods to Chad, Niger, Cameroon, Sudan and Central Africa. Borno has the chunk of the northeast population. 

I am quite glad that the Nigerian Shippers Council is committed to this dry port in Borno because that project is capable of making huge impact in the economy of Borno with multiplier effects on the rest of the northeast. 

‎ We will give the NSC all the support to ensure the success of this project" Shettima said. 

The Governor paid glowing tributes to the E.S for what he described as his "competent handling of the Shippers Council through skills, humility and politeness". 

"It is really a great feat to efficiently manage the complex nature of the maritime industry which has very wealthy shippers, the controversial NIMASA, customs, terminal operators and different actors. 

But I think I can understand why the E.S is succeeding. I strongly think beside his evident competence,  his major strength is his humility and politeness and these are attributes that help in team building and collectivism in approach to attaining goals.‎ I am hopeful that Borno State will soon benefit from the competence and commitment of the E.S through the inland terminal otherwise referred to as dry port" Shettima added.