Abuja, 26 March – Amid ongoing electricity supply challenges in numerous African nations, notably Nigeria, the Federal Government urges investors to prioritize substantial investments in climate-friendly small hydropower, mirroring their support for other renewable technologies. The Nigerian Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, issued this call during a capacity-building training on small hydropower development standards, organized by the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) and the International Centre on Small Hydropower. The training focused on policymakers, standardization bureaus, and renewable energy project developers from the ECOWAS and EAC regions.

The 4-day workshop, which expands on UNIDO's capacity-building efforts, has increased its reach to cover all regions of Sub-Saharan Africa. Representing the Director of ECREEE, Guei F. Kouhie emphasized “The energy system in West Africa faces several challenges, including insecure electricity supply, increasing environmental degradation, and low access to electricity. Small hydropower has the potential to address these challenges."

The event offered insights into small hydropower development, addressing global challenges, the socioeconomic significance of small hydropower, and the crucial role of standards such as ISO/TC339. UNIDO introduced its technical guidelines and facilitated knowledge exchange on site selection, planning, and design of small hydropower plants. Additionally, the training showcased presentations from participating countries, sharing valuable lessons learned and experiences.

The opening ceremony drew over 160 participants, including key government officials from Nigeria's energy sector, UNIDO, the East African Centre of Excellence for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (EACREE), the ECOWAS Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (ECREEE), the Regional Centre for Renewable Energies and Energy Efficiency in Central Africa (CEREEAC) and the International Centre on Small Hydropower (ICSHP). Providing feedback on the training, Winnie Grace Onziru of the Ugandan Bureau of Standards remarked, “I have learned a lot from the rich experiences shared by the participants from other countries. Bringing like-minded professionals from the EAC and ECOWAS and creating the knowledge exchange platform is a commendable initiative.”

Each of the following sessions attracted about 90 participants from more than 12 countries. Kouadio Eduouard Koffi, Director of Electricity Production at Côte d’Ivoire Energies, highlighted “Small Hydropower can play very critical roles in diversifying power generation, supporting rural electrification, and its standardization are important to the Ivory Coast and many developing states”.

Notably, six countries (Burkina Faso, Burundi, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Liberia and Uganda) committed to joining the Technical Committee ISO/TC 339, underscoring their dedication to small hydropower technical standards. The event sets the stage for the second plenary of ISO/TC 339, where new committed members will be invited to participate.

In closing remarks, Jidere Bala, former Director General of the Energy Commission of Nigeria, thanked UNIDO for convening experts from across the region and sharing insights into overcoming challenges in small hydropower development and operations.

For more information, please contact: Heng Liu, Senior Technical Advisor

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