The Minister of Power, Professor Bart Nnaji, has said that the 760Megawatts Kanji Hydro Power Station in Niger State has been shut down due to excessive water leakage in the dam which could cause a flooding of the station according to a statement signed by the special adviser to the minister on media, Ogbuagu Anikwe.
He also said the essence of the shutdown is to forestall flooding, and ordered all five units in the power station generating 330MW to be shut down as well.
The minister however ordered all divers in the service of the station to be mobilised immediately to trace the point of the water leakage in the dam and rectify the problem as a matter of utmost urgency.
He said that if the water leakage problem is not solved immediately, it could affect the operations of the four units of the Jebba Hydro Station which currently produce 335MW.
Built in 1968 with an installed capacity for 760MW, the Kainji Hydro Power Plant has in recent years been generating not more than 450MW due to poor maintenance. In fact, it has not been overhauled since its establishment.
Apologising to Nigerians for the power outage arising out of the shutdown, the minister said it is regrettable that it occurred when there is a considerable reduction in national power supply as a result of shortage in gas supply to thermal power stations.
Professor Nnaji also disclosed that President Goodluck Jonathan is personally leading a new effort to draw up a far reaching and composite plan to end all the impediments to the quick realisation of electricity development in Nigeria, including gas shortages.
