Nigeria is blessed with so many human and natural resources but there is a vital need to harness these resources to serve its citizens. Renewable energy remains the cleanest and most reliable energy type and Nigeria is blessed with quite a number of these renewable energy resources. Small hydropower is among the most accessible types of renewable energy. By encouraging private investment in the energy sector through reforms, the Nigerian government has diversified its energy sources to support the development of renewable energy, but this may not be sufficient given that the nation still faces obstacles to the construction of Small Hydropower Plants (SHPs). One of such barriers is the lack of a proper Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) to be carried out on the proposed SHPs in Nigeria. This review paper evaluates the need to conduct an environmental impact assessment on the small hydropower plants in Nigeria. It is concluded that for the hydropower plants to stand the test of time, for it to operate adequately and for the communities surrounding such plants not to be adversely affected by the construction of these plants, a proper EIA has to be carried out.

Keywords : SHPs, EIA, Electricity, Nigeria.