HYPPADEC seeks talks with GenCos, BPE: Demands 10% royalty for host communities of Hydropower plants
Solomon Ezeme
The Hydroelectric Power Producing Areas Development Commission (HYPPADEC), on a courtesy visit to the Abuja office of Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE), on Wednesday, August 4, 2021 called on BPE and Power Generation Companies (GenCos), on the imperative of a tripartite meeting involving the three stakeholders to jointly deliberate on how host communities of hydropower plants can get 10% royalty from the concession of the plants operated by the GenCos.
During the visit, Abubakar Yelwa, the Managing Director of HYPPADEC, harped on the need for such a meeting which will include the GenCos, BPE and HYPPADEC, to decide on the group’s 10% royalty demand for host communities of hydropower plants, as incorporated in HYPPADEC’s statute.
Yelwa said the agency’s visit was primarily to request for the meeting which would ensure that the concerned parties agree on the royalty for the host communities, noting that it would yield a better result than an ordinary or written correspondence.
He explained that the royalty, if granted, would be used by the group to develop the hydropower host communities.
Speaking on behalf of the Director-General of BPE,
the Director of Energy, BPE, Mr Yunana J. Malo, said the agency will partner with HYPPADEC to protect the interest of and the development of the host communities.
He added that BPE will monitor the activities of Hydro-Power Plants operators and ensure that they execute their Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) to the host communities, stating that both agencies will sit to decide how to handle the issue relating to the demanded royalty.