National Wire About Nigerians, Nigerian Business and Other Stories
By Olabode Adaramola Minna
The management of North South Power (NSP), Shiroro Hydroelectric Power Station has pledged to strengthen it’s relationship with host communities to address local concerns.
Chief Operating Officer of NSP, Mr. Ugochukwu Chicken, stated this during the Bi-Annual Dam Host Community Stakeholders Committee meeting in Minna.
Chioke, represented by the Consultant on Health, Environment and Social Services to NSP, Mrs. Esther Bittiyong, emphasised the need for regular dialogue, transparency and collaboration in implementing community projects.
He noted that fostering closer ties with host communities would ensure that their concerns are promptly addressed and that Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives reflect the immediate needs of the people.
“As stakeholders you were selected to speak for their communities, therefore you must transmit all outcomes of the meeting back home,” he said.
He stressed that the current meeting would address unresolved areas and emerging concerns and urged representatives of communities to pay close attention as their voices were crucial in improving relations between NSP and host communities.
In his remarks, Chairman, Dam Host Stakeholders Committee, Prof. Danladi Hakimi, said the committee was established in 2018 by the Emir of Minna, Alhaji (Dr.)Umar Farouk Bahago at the request of NSP following widespread agitation from youths in the host communities.
He added that the committee was mandated to meet twice yearly to address community grievances, enhance dialogue and foster mutual understanding between the dam management and host communities.
“The success of our collaborative goals depends on both parties carrying each other along and abiding by the rules we have set for engagement,” he said.
While commending NSP for its CSR interventions, the chairman urged the company to scale up people-oriented projects and prioritise employment opportunities for qualified youths from the host communities.
Hakimi stressed that the company should consult communities first before executing CSR projects, saying interventions must reflect genuine community needs to reduce agitation and strengthen ownership of development initiatives.
Also speaking, Consultant to North South Power Foundation (NSPF) on CSR, Alhaji Abdullahi Hassan assured the host communities of the company’s continued commitment to addressing their concerns.
Hassan said NSP would never take the host communities for granted and appealed to community members to maintain open dialogue with the company on all issues affecting them.
In a goodwill message,, Acting Managing Director of AEDC, Mr. Samuel Odekina, commended NSP for convening the meeting, describing it as a constructive platform for strengthening collaboration and ensuring peaceful engagement between the company and its host communities.
In a presentation, Consultant, Public Relations to NSPF, Dr Sam Esumeh said the company executed various projects within the last six months aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
He said the projects cut across healthcare, water and sanitation, sustainable agriculture, humanitarian relief, education support, economic empowerment and electrification in host communities.
