The Oyo State Government is to generate 1,000 mega watts from wastes following the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding(MoU) with some power-generating firms.
The state government on Wednesday in Ibadan signed an MoU with Siemens International, MRF1 and West African Energy on conversion of waste to energy.
Gov. Abiola Ajimobi said that the project would promote industrialisation and generate employment opportunities, stating that it was anchored on his administration’s developmental tripod of restoration, transformation and repositioning.
Ajimobi stated that the objective of the present effort was to uplift the state from its civil service status to an industrialised one.
“As part of our development agenda of restoration, transformation and repositioning, we have come up with an agreement with these power-generating firms which had culminated into today’s signing of MOU.
“These companies, Siemens, MRF1 and West African Energy, are well-known companies in electronics, energy and ICT.
“The objectives of the project is to industrialise the state and create employment for the youths.
“The power will be distributed across the zones in the state. We really want to take our youths off the street and get them fully employed,” he said.
Nasir Giwa, the representative of Siemens International, said that the state on completion of the project would be the first to sell or export power to the national grid.
Giwa stated that the moment power was being generated in the state, many other developmental activities would naturally follow.
“We believe that power generation is a fulcrum of commercial growth. Once it is achieved, other things would naturally follow and Oyo State will be the first State to export power to the national grid,” he said.
Also, Mrs Lolade Oresanwo, the representative of West African Energy, said that the project would create employment opportunities in the excess of 10,000.
“The success of this project is the importance of power to industrialisation. When there is power, there are more employment opportunities,” Oresanwo said.