Flooding : FG Commences Nationwide Overhaul Of Dams Infrastructure

The Federal Government has Commenced Nationwide Dam Infrastructure Overhaul to combat Flooding.

This is contained in a statement signed by the Director of Information and Public Relations in the Ministry, Mrs.Funmi Imuetinyan in Abuja.

To this end, it says the roverhaul has commenced with the Alau Dam in Borno State, which was affected by the flood disaster on September 9, 2024.

“We are prioritizing the safety and security of critical dams, not only the Alau Dam but also others such as the Kiri, Dadin Kowa, and Kourz dams in the North-East, as well as key dams across Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones”.

According to the statement, the Director of Dams and Reservoir Operations in the Ministry of Water Resources and Sanitation, Aliyu Ibrahim Dallah, during an assessment visit to the dam in Maiduguri, Borno State explains that President Bola Tinubu had approved the establishment of an Inter-Ministerial Technical Committee to oversee the nationwide re-evaluation of dams.

“Our mission is to evaluate the current condition of the Alau Dam, assess its impact on surrounding communities, and propose both immediate and long-term solutions. This review is part of a broader strategy to secure Nigeria’s dam Infrastructure, Dallah states.”

The statement adds that the
committee, chaired by the Minister of Water Resources and Sanitation, Prof. Joseph Terlumun Utsev created a dedicated Technical Sub-Committee to address the specific needs of each dam across the country.

“This sub-committee, led by Dallah, includes experts from the Ministries of Water Resources and Sanitation, Works and Housing, Environment, Budget and Finance, the Office of the National Security Adviser, the Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE), the Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN), and the Office of the Surveyor-General of the Federation (OSGF), among others”.

It states that the proposed measures will include raising the dam’s reservoir level, desilting, and other interventions to enhance its resilience against natural disasters noting that similar assessments will be conducted at other critical dam sites across Nigeria.

The statement underscores the Federal Government’s commitment to completing the Overhaul before the next rainy season sstressing that the government’s proactive approach reflects its broader commitment to safeguarding national infrastructure and protecting communities from the growing risks posed by climate change-related disasters.

According to the statement, the delegation on the assessment team includes officials from the Federal Ministries of Environment, Works, the Office of the Surveyor-General of the Federation, and other water experts, were on ground to assess the structural integrity of the Alau Dam and recommend sustainable solutions to prevent future flooding.

Georgina Humphrey, Edited By Grace Namiji