The National Hydroelectric Power Producing Areas Development Commission (N-HYPPADEC) says it is set to begin interventions in 30 flood-prone communities in Nasarawa State.

The commission’s managing director, Abubakar Yelwa, revealed this information on Monday in Lafia during a training exercise that included a needs assessment, enumeration, and community mapping.

The MD, represented by Nura Wakili, the commission’s spokesperson, said the benefiting communities were spread across Awe, Kokona, Doma, Nasarawa, Toto, Keffi and Karu local government areas.

He explained that the commission had the mandate to intervene in ecological and other challenges faced by communities affected by operations of the hydroelectric dams, as well as the main rivers and tributaries supplying water to dams.

Mr Yelwa said the needs assessment, enumeration, and community mapping exercise in Nasarawa State was in keeping with the commission’s philosophy of a bottom-to-top approach to the interventions emanating from the identified needs of the communities.

“We do not believe in seating in our headquarters in Minna or liaison office in Abuja to design and execute programmes for communities.

“We want to go and see and hear first-hand information on the condition of the communities, hear the inhabitants’ challenges and their peculiarities that would guide us to develop our action plan for the execution of projects and programmes in the communities,” he said.

The MD said the exercise in Nasarawa State would be concluded on October 19, after which the data collected would be analysed, and a comprehensive action plan developed for project implementation.

He further explained that the commission had intervened in several flood control projects, such as the construction of drainages to avoid flooding in member states’ flood-prone communities.

“We also have the N-HYPPADEC Resettlement Housing Scheme to resettle riverine communities ravaged by incessant floods that have defined control.

“We have 250 housing units of the scheme in Niger State and 150 units in Kogi,” he added.

The MD, therefore, appealed to the government and people of Nasarawa State to cooperate with the commission’s officials in the field by ensuring their safety and security.

He pointed out that the success of the exercise would determine the stake of the Nasarawa State communities in the commission programme.

Yakubu Kwanta, Nasarawa State Commissioner for Environmental and Natural Resources, who declared the training exercise open, thanked the federal government for including the state in N-HYPPADEC intervention programmes.

In his remarks, a traditional ruler, the Aren Koro Kuje, Sunday Namo, expressed gratitude to the federal government for the intervention.

(NAN)