Jigawa establishes power ministry

Governor Mallam Umar Namadi of Jigawa State has announced the creation of the Ministry of Power and Renewable Energy in the state and appointed Dr Siraja Musa as its pioneer commissioner.

The ceremony was held in the council chambers of the Government House, Dutse, on Thursday.

Governor Namadi said, “Setting up a ministry is not an easy task, even though I have no doubt in your capability and capacity. But I am sure you will need to consult more with your colleague commissioners because this is a different ball game. So, you are going to play an entirely different role from your former role.

“You will take over all of the Ministry of Works’ electrical departments, as well as the Rural Electrification Agency (REA). They will all come under your control, so you need to discuss them with the Commissioner for Works.

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“Similarly, the renewable energy department under the Ministry of Environment will now be under the Ministry of Power and Renewable Energy.”

The governor also announced the creation of a new regulatory body under the supervision of the Ministry of Power and Renewable Energy to regulate the distribution and transmission of electricity within the state.

He said, “There will be a new regulatory agency established to oversee the distribution and transmission of electricity in Jigawa State, which is going to be one of the biggest agencies. I urge the commissioner to work round the clock to ensure the successful take-off and success of the new ministry.”

Dr Musa expressed gratitude to the governor and pledged to work diligently to serve the people of Jigawa State.

Dr Musa, an academic with a master’s degree in electrical engineering and a PhD in wireless communication and network engineering, has been instrumental in advising the governor on power and renewable energy for the past year.