Niger to Get Ethanol Plant, Signs MoU with NNPC

Laleye Dipo in Minna

The Niger State Government is to set up an Ethanol plant and has already signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Nigeria National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC) for the realisation of the project.

To also ensure the ethanol plant is not in short supply of raw materials,  government said it is to cultivate over 100,000 hectares of maize, sugarcane, and sweet sorghum with an estimated harvest of 500,000 tons of the crops.

The MoU was signed by Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago and Abubakar Usman, Secretary to the State Government, while   the NNPC’s Executive Vice President, Gas, Power and New Energy, Olalekan Ogunleye as well as its Managing Director, New Energy Limited, Kanayochukwu Odoe signed for the company.

According to the MoU, the project will also among other things bring about the development of a “Greenfield Hydroelectric Power Project, Solar park in institutions, home solar systems for 250,000 households”.

A statement made available to newsmen in Minna by the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor,  Bologi Ibrahim, quoted Governor Umaru Bago as explaining that the signing of the MoU was one of the positive outcomes of the first Green Economy Summit organised by the Niger State Government.

According to the system, the clean energy is one of the targets of NNPC in its drive towards clean energy.

“The government will continue to take advantage of the water bodies in the state to make green energy a reality,” he added.

In his remarks, Ogunleye said the leadership of the NNPC remains focused not just on projecting clean energy in Africa, but exploring the route and converting it for the prosperity of the Nigeria.

Ogunleye commended the leadership style and commitment of Bago and expressed optimism that the MOU with the government will create the platform to work together in terms of creating a green energy economy.

Also the Managing Director of NNPC New Energy Limited, Odoe  described the partnership with Niger State as progressive, adding that the company’s objective of making Nigeria a hub of green energy and green economy was realisable.