Nigeria: Kick-off support SESA for Hydropower Master Plan

4 November 2024

The Ministry of Energy in Nigeria is currently working on a Master Plan for Hydropower development in the country. The plan involves performing a Strategic Environmental and Social Assessment (SESA), for which the ministry has asked the NCEA to provide support. To kick off this trajectory, a three-day stakeholder engagement workshop was organised to discuss and agree on the Terms of Reference (ToR) for the SESA and the Hydropower Master plan.

As funding supporter of this project, the World Bank facilitated the workshop. Representatives from three key ministries (Power, Water Resources and Environment), as well as some related agencies and the private sector, were invited. Representatives from Cameroon were also present, to share their experiences and lessons learnt on their recently developed SESA for hydropower planning. 

The NCEA’s main goal was to raise awareness on the importance of good practice SESA, and to support in the development of the ToR for the SESA of the Hydropower Master Plan. The most important outcome of the workshop was the establishment of an interministerial agreement, recognizing the need for a SESA. This agreement underscored the importance of full ownership by the main authority, reflecting commitment to national leadership in the plan's development and implementation. Moreover, the World Bank was keen to encourage and support this ambitious approach in fostering local ownership

The support of the NCEA will continue in 2025 through coaching and capacity development.