Malam Balarabe Abbas Lawal, Minister of Environment, received the Managing Director and a senior delegation from the National Hydroelectric Power Producing Areas Development Commission (HYPPARDEC) on a courtesy visit to the Federal Ministry of Environment in Abuja.

At the meeting, HYPPARDEC submitted the N‑HYPPARDEC Climate & Environment project proposal envelopes for the Ministry’s consideration. The proposals outline phased, basin‑wide interventions to be implemented between 2025 and 2027, targeting environmental management, climate resilience and sustainable livelihoods in hydro‑power producing areas across selected river basins.

Minister Lawal welcomed the submission and reiterated the Ministry’s commitment to working with HYPPARDEC to ensure the proposed interventions meet national environmental and social standards. He stressed the importance of integrating robust environmental and social safeguards — including EIAs/ESIAs and effective grievance mechanisms — into project design and implementation. The Minister also underscored the need to prioritize watershed protection, biodiversity conservation and sustainable land‑use practices, while incorporating climate‑resilient design and adaptation measures.

Community engagement and livelihood restoration were highlighted as central components of the proposals. The Ministry emphasized that transparent consultation with affected communities, together with mechanisms to restore and enhance livelihoods, will be vital for the projects’ long‑term success and social license to operate.

Both parties agreed a series of practical next steps to advance the proposals. HYPPARDEC will submit full project documentation and technical annexes , after which a joint technical review meeting will be convened to refine implementation phasing. Pilot basins and immediate action sites will be identified, and a joint monitoring and reporting framework developed. The Ministry and HYPPARDEC also committed to exploring domestic and international funding and partnership opportunities to support implementation and capacity building.

The Federal Ministry of Environment expressed appreciation for the constructive engagement and reaffirmed its readiness to coordinate with relevant agencies to expedite proposal review and support implementation for the benefit of host communities and national environmental objectives.