Nigeria Content Online

The federal
government is to explore the large deposit of coal discovered in some
states of the federation, according to the vice president, Namadi Sambo.

He told the States
and China Machinery and Equipment Company (CMEC) delegation which
visited him yesterday that the federal government is resolved to
diversify efforts in the positive search for solutions to the nation’s
power problem.

He expressed
concern over the way the China Exim Bank responded to the issue of the
provision of the planned 84 megawatt of electricity in Kaduna State,
noting that the engineering, procurement and construction (EPC)
contract was almost stalled by the bank’s response.

Coal as power provider

Mr Sambo charged
the company to explore the potentials inherent in the coal power sector
in the country, especially the large deposits of coal in Enugu, Benue,
Kogi and Nasarawa States. “I can confirm to you that one trillion of
coal deposit is being explored by a German firm in Gombe State, for the
purpose of generating a coal power plant,” he said.

He called on the company to fast-track its activities, to meet with the challenges of the time.

Earlier in his
address, Bashir Ishaq Bashir, the leader of the delegation and the
Nigerian partner to the company, Leda Green Power, had stated that the
purpose of their visit was to felicitate with the Vice President over
his appointment and to wish him success in his tenure.

Mr Bashir
associated the company with the efforts of the federal government in
trying to solve the perennial power problem in the country. He seized
the opportunity to invite the Mr Sambo to China to meet with officials
of the Ministry of Commerce in Beijing. He thanked Mr Sambo for
accepting their request for such a visit. Members of the delegation
included: Wang Quingxin, Chief Representative of the CMEC, Liu Bin of a
subsidiary of the Central Southern China Electric Power Design
Institute of China Power Engineering Consulting Group, and Li Nan, a
Director of the company.

In a related
development, the vice president also received in audience on behalf of
Goodluck Jonathan, a special message from the President of Zambia,
Rapiah Bwezani Banda. The special message was delivered by the Zambian
Envoy to Nigeria, Major Richard Kachingwe in the Vice President’s
office in State House, Abuja.