Bauchi To Begin Work On 120MW Yankari Power Plant

Bauchi State governor, Mallam Isa Yuguda, on Friday said that the construction of the 120 megawatts Yankari power plant would start in two months’ time.

The governor said this when the management team of SINOMAC, a Chinese energy and gas company, led by Alhaji Ibrahim Jidda, Special Adviser to President Goodluck Jonathan on Energy, visited him in Bauchi.

He said that the power plant, which was expected to run on gas, would be constructed by China Mechanical and Equipment Company (CMEC), adding that all arrangements had been made for the project to commence.

Yuguda said that the construction of the plant had become imperative as part of the state government’s efforts to revamp the tourism sector via the improvement of the revenue potential of the Yankari Games Reserve.

“The reserve is at the finishing point of renovation and reconstruction, with a view to making it a world-class holiday resort.

``The reserve has recorded 1,000 per cent increase in revenue generation within six months.
“Since we have reached a certain mileage in the renovation and reconstruction exercise, we have been able to raise the room rates as well as the gate fees, which resulted in the current high revenue profile,” he stated.

``For the first time we have been able to record very high revenue within three months, which have not been recorded in five years. This is very encouraging.

``When things get better and tourists will start flocking in, I assure you that the revenue will increase significantly, `` he said.

Yuguda commended the team for the visit, saying that the company’s presence in the state would be beneficial, as part of efforts to get gas to run the power plant when completed.
He said that the environmentally friendly energy plant would also provide employment opportunities for unemployed youths in the state.

Earlier, Jiddah said that the company was in the state to seek partnerships on socio-economic development projects, particularly in the area of providing cheap sources of energy for automobiles and domestic use.