The National Hydroelectric Power Producing Areas Development Commission (N-HYPPADEC) is exploring partnerships with the National Council on Climate Change (NCCC) to attract international climate finance for development and climate-resilience interventions in communities affected by hydroelectric power operations.
The Managing Director of N-HYPPADEC, Abubakar Sadiq Yelwa, disclosed this when he led a delegation on a visit to the Director-General of the NCCC, Dr. Tenioye Majekodunmi, in Abuja.
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The meeting focused on strengthening collaboration between both institutions and identifying opportunities to attract international climate and development funding for interventions across N-HYPPADEC’s mandate areas in its ten member states.
Yelwa said the Commission’s interest in the partnership was driven by its commitment to improving the socio-economic conditions of communities affected by the operations of hydroelectric dams.
He said strategic partnerships with national and international institutions would enable N-HYPPADEC to expand the scope and impact of its interventions, particularly in flood and erosion control, environmental sustainability, climate adaptation and livelihood improvement.
The N-HYPPADEC Managing Director said the Commission was also interested in leveraging opportunities within the international climate finance space to support sustainable interventions addressing the environmental and developmental challenges facing communities within its mandate.
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Responding, the NCCC Director-General, Dr. Tenioye Majekodunmi, stressed the importance of creating platforms where development partners and donor agencies could learn about N-HYPPADEC’s interventions and their impact on affected communities.
Majekodunmi encouraged N-HYPPADEC to leverage international climate platforms, including side events at the Conference of the Parties (COP), to showcase its interventions and engage potential development partners.
She said such platforms could provide opportunities for Nigerian institutions to demonstrate credible climate-related interventions, establish partnerships and attract resources for climate action and sustainable development.
The NCCC Director-General also highlighted the strategic importance of hydropower in strengthening climate resilience, noting the need for sustainable energy development as Nigeria responds to climate change while improving energy security.
The meeting also emphasised the importance of developing bankable and measurable projects capable of meeting the requirements of international climate-financing institutions and development partners.
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Both institutions expressed commitment to strengthening technical engagement and exploring concrete areas of collaboration, including opportunities for N-HYPPADEC to showcase its interventions and impact stories from affected communities at international climate platforms and side events.
The proposed collaboration is expected to strengthen Nigeria’s institutional response to climate change while creating opportunities to mobilise resources for interventions aimed at improving resilience, protecting vulnerable communities and enhancing livelihoods in hydroelectric power-producing areas.