Small hydro schemes - taking Nigeria's energy generation to the next level

A stable, efficient and working power sector is necessary to transform Nigeria into a developed nation. Nigeria's population is largely rural. The standard of living of many Nigerians can be improved by supplying electricity to the remote rural areas. To meet the millennium development goals for the country, government is pursuing the privatization of the power sector. With the increasing world oil prices, hydro power seems like the most viable means of energy generation. Nigeria has many rivers widely scattered across the nation, enhancing the potential for small hydro schemes across the country. Run-of-the-river and pump-storage schemes are the most appropriate schemes to implement. Small hydro schemes are environmentally friendly and renewable energy sources, thus making them cheaper and easier to operate, maintain and manage. The high transmission cost, the large amount of power lost during transmission and the incessant vandalization of power infrastructure rampant at present will reduce, hence cheaper power can be produced. This paper is a proposal for the adoption of small hydro schemes in energy generation. A typical small hydro generation scheme is designed for a site in Nigeria taking into consideration climatic, hydrological, geological, environmental, economic and technical factors. The scheme can be put to other complementary uses like irrigation, fish farming, tourist attraction and recreational facilities