5 August 2008 - Building on the Kandadji dam, a project that will boost power generation in landlocked Niger, has begun, after nearly 40 years of discussions and deliberations.

"No other development project will have sparked so much long term interest or such high expectations," said Prime Minister Seini Oumarou in a broadcast on state television.

Funded by the Islamic Development Bank, to a value of approximately US$236 million, construction is due to completion in 2013. Funding for the hydropower plant at the dam will be funded via a public private partnerships, according to government sources.

Currently, Niger imports 90% of its electricity from neighbouring Nigeria.