The Ad-hoc Committee of the House of Representatives investigating reforms and expenditures in Nigeria’s power sector from 2007 to 2024 has summoned the Minister of Water Resources, the heads of major water management agencies, and the individuals who signed the 2005 concession agreement for the 40MW Dadin-Kowa hydropower project.

This summons was announced on Wednesday by the Committee Chairman, Arch. Ibrahim Almustapha Aliyu, following a presentation by Mabon Generating Company, the project’s concessionaire. The presentation brought to light several gaps, delays, and inconsistencies related to the project, which the lawmakers found unacceptable.

Aliyu specifically instructed the committee secretariat to call the following people and organizations to appear before the committee on December 4, 2025: the Minister of Water Resources; the Managing Director of the Upper Benue River Basin Development Authority; the Managing Director of the Hadejia–Jama’are River Basin Development Authority; the Chief Executive of the Nigeria Integrated Water Resources Management Commission; the Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission; and the individuals who signed the original concession and any subsequent amendments.

The Chairman noted that nearly 20 years into the 25-year Build-Operate-Transfer concession, the Dadin-Kowa project has faced extensive delays, addendums, approval bottlenecks, and unclear responsibilities among different government agencies. He questioned the level of due diligence performed by both Mabon and the supervising authorities, stating: “From 2005 to now, 20 years have passed. You entered into an agreement after confirming the facility was suitable. Now, halfway through, you suddenly discover there are challenges.”

The committee also requested the submission of the appraisal committee report that evaluated the initial concession and endorsed the addendum. Furthermore, all documents related to the project’s performance assessment, generation output, operational deficiencies, and payment issues were requested.

Mabon Generating Company reported that it has provided more than 700 million kilowatt-hours (kWh) of electricity to the national grid since 2021. The company also clarified that it has not received any grants or direct loans from the Federal Government since the project started. The Chief Operating Officer (COO), Umar Shehu Hashidu, confirmed that the company has submitted all requested documents, including the original 2005 concession agreement, the 2015 addendum, and the relevant regulatory approvals.

In a different context, the Special Adviser to the President on Energy, Olu Verheijen, emphasized the ongoing Presidential Metering Initiative (PMI) as part of President Bola Tinubu's efforts to stabilize power supply. The initiative aims to address Nigeria’s existing seven-million-meter shortfall and reduce losses in the electricity sector.

Obafemi Sotebo, representing the PMI Director, mentioned that the initiative is intended to eliminate estimated billing, enhance revenue assurance, and create a nationwide system of smart meters capable of remote auditing. It is anticipated that bridging the metering gap could considerably decrease sector losses from the current range of 45–50% to a more acceptable global standard of 12–15%.