The Federal Government has officially handed over the 6-megawatt Ikere Gorge Hydropower Plant in Iseyin, Oyo State, to Messrs Quaint Power and Infrastructure Nigeria under a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) concession arrangement.
The handover ceremony was jointly performed by the Minister of Water Resources and Sanitation, Prof. Joseph Utsev, and the Minister of Power, Mr. Adebayo Adelabu.
Speaking at the event, Prof. Utsev described the concession as a major milestone in the Federal Government’s efforts to close infrastructure financing gaps and expand sustainable power generation through increased private sector participation.
He said the initiative aligns with the government’s broader strategy to attract private capital and expertise into critical infrastructure development.
The minister also commended the Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission (ICRC) for its role in promoting transparency, value for money, and efficiency in PPP projects.
He emphasized that leveraging private sector capacity is essential to complement public investments and accelerate infrastructure delivery.
According to Prof. Utsev, the Ikere Gorge Hydropower Plant is the outcome of a long-standing collaboration between the Federal Ministry of Water Resources and Sanitation and the Federal Ministry of Power, a partnership that dates back to 2012 and is aimed at unlocking Nigeria’s vast hydropower potential.
In his remarks, Minister of Power Adebayo Adelabu reaffirmed the Federal Government’s commitment to private sector-led growth in the power sector, describing the handover as the beginning of a new phase in the country’s sustainable energy journey.
He noted that the Ikere Gorge Dam, originally developed for water supply and irrigation, is now being repositioned as a strategic national asset for clean and renewable electricity generation.
