If Nigeria wants to address her power generation crisis, state governors should visit these 10 sites where artificial rapids were created along rivers

Ayo Akinfe

(1) 1972 – Augsburg Eiskanal in Augsburg, Germany — flow diversion

(2) 1992 – Segre Olympic Park in La Seu d’Urgell, Spain — flow diversion/pumped

(3) 1996 – Ocoee Whitewater Center near Copperhill, Tennessee, USA — altered riverbed

(4) 2000 – Penrith Whitewater Stadium, near Sydney, Australia — pumped

(5) 2004 – Hellinikon Olympic Canoe/Kayak Slalom Centre, Athens, Greece — pumped

(6) 2008 – Shunyi Olympic Rowing-Canoeing Park, Beijing, China — pumped

(7) 2012 – Lee Valley White Water Centre, London, England — pumped

(8) 2016 – Deodoro Olympic Whitewater Stadium, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil — pumped

(9) 2007 – Adventure Sports Center International in McHenry, Maryland, USA — pumped

(10) 2012 – Wadi Adventure in Al Ain, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates — pumped

These were all built for sports like kayaking but the same principles apply to building rapids for hydroelectric power generation. Just imagine if every one of Nigeria’s 36 governors built one rapid in his state.

Very little happens in life without precedence. None of Nigeria’s problems are insurmountable or beyond solution if the political will to solve them is there.