2 July 2013
Construction of a 700MW hydroelectric power plant in Nigeria by two Chinese firms has begun.
The plant, located in Zungeru, in Niger state, is being constructed by China’s Sinohydro and Chinese National Electric Engineering.
It is scheduled for completion by the end of 2017.
Seventy-five percent of the $1.294 billion cost of the project will be funded by China Export Import Bank and the remaining 25% by the Nigerian Power Sector Intervention Fund, Xinhua reported.
Nigerian president Goodluck Jonathan
When complete the plant is expected to create more than 1,000 jobs and generate 700MW of electricity for the country.
Nigerian president Goodluck Jonathan inaugurated the construction and said the project would provide many benefits, such as agricultural development, tourism and exportation of perishable food.
"This is a history-making event because the power plant is the largest to be built by this administration," he said.
Approval for the project was given in December 2012 but it was first conceived in 1982 and financial constraints meant construction could not commence.
