South Sudan's Minister of Energy and Dams, Maulana Agok Kur (left), and NELSAP-CU Regional Coordinator, Eng. Dr. Isaac Alukwe, display documents after signing a Memorandum of Understanding in Juba. The agreement authorizes NELSAP-CU to lead resource mobilization for the Grand Fulla Hydropower Project studies. (Photo: Courtesy of NELSAP-CU)

The National Ministry of Energy and Dams has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Nile Equatorial Lakes Subsidiary Action Program Coordination Unit (NELSAP-CU). The agreement authorizes the regional body to lead resource mobilization for baseline and feasibility studies on the Grand Fulla Hydropower Project.

In a statement shared with Eye Radio, the agreement was finalized during meetings in Juba this week between the Minister of Energy and Dams, Maulana Agok Makur, and a visiting NELSAP-CU delegation led by Regional Coordinator Eng. Dr. Isaac Alukwe.

Meanwhile, during the consultations, technical teams also reviewed progress on the South Sudan–Uganda Power Interconnection Project (SUPIP) and discussed measures to accelerate construction of the cross-border grid.

SUPIP is designed to establish cross-border electricity trade, stabilize grid reliability, and integrate energy infrastructure between the two nations. It builds on previous bilateral discussions held in Kampala with Uganda’s energy ministry and electricity transmission company.

To address ongoing execution challenges, Dr. Alukwe’s delegation met with the General Manager of the South Sudan Electricity Corporation (SSEC) to evaluate operational bottlenecks and establish administrative steps to maintain the project schedule.

The NELSAP-CU delegation also held talks with the Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation, James Mawich Makuach, who serves as the chairperson for the Nile Equatorial Lakes Council of Ministers (NELCOM).

The briefing covered several regional infrastructure programs under the NELSAP portfolio, including the Regional Climate Resilience Program (RCRP), the Angololo Multipurpose Water Resources Development Project, the Ruvyironza Multipurpose Project in Burundi, and the Ujiji–Mulembwe Power Interconnection Project between Burundi and Tanzania.

Minister Makuach endorsed the resource mobilization strategy for the Grand Fulla project and reaffirmed South Sudan’s commitment to its institutional obligations under the Nile Basin Initiative framework.

Both parties concluded the sessions by pledging continued coordination on regional energy security and sustainable resource development.