Borno: FG okays N80bn for immediate reconstruction of Alao dam
President Bola Tinubu has approved N80 billion for the immediate reconstruction and expansion of the Alau dam in Borno state.
Situated in the Alau community of Konduga, a local government area of Borno State in the northeast region of Nigeria, it was constructed in 1984–1986. It impounds a major reservoir on the Ngadda River, one of the tributaries of Lake Chad.
In 2024, the dam collapsed, causing catastrophic flooding in Borno State and killing over 150 people, with at least 419,000 people displaced.
The Minister of Water Resources and sanitation, Prof Joseph Utsev disclosed this while briefing State House correspondents at the end of the Federal Executive Council, FEC, meeting presided by President Tinubu at the State House, Abuja.
He said that Tinubu’s approval during Council meeting followed the submission of report of the Ministerial Committee that was set up on the twenty-third of September, 2024 and headed by him for the evaluation of dams in Nigeria.
Prof Utsev said the committee, constituted with the ministers of finance, environment, works, information and the National Security Adviser as members and himself as chairman, was inaugurated on October 2, 2024.
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“The mandate of that committee was to assess all dams in the country and come up with recommendations of how best the dams can be put to use, the areas of water supply, flood control, irrigation and fish farming, among others.
“The committee constituted a sub-committee which coopted Members of the Nigeria Society of engineers, the Council for regulation of engineering in Nigeria, and that of Council of dams experts in Nigeria.
“So the committee swooped into action and brought out recommendations of about 35 dams that have been assessed so far.
“So, today the interim report was presented to the Federal Executive Council. We saw some challenges as a result of flooding on the 10th of September last year.
“So, the designs, analysis and everything of that particular dam, Alau dam, was done and presented to the sub-committee, and that report was made before Mr President, and Mr. President graciously gave an approval of N80 billion for the reconstruction and expansion of Alau dam immediately, in Bono state.
“So, as it stands now, the approval for the construction of new rehabilitation of also dam has been done by Mr. President, which is awaiting ratification of the Federal Executive Council when all other due processes is being observed.
“The Borno state government is working with the sub-committee and Nigerian security advisory office members. They are working together to kick-start that project, and between now and July of this year, the first component of that work will be established so that there will be no flooding in Maiduguri again this year.
“Then the other components, like desilting, will commence by December this year. The project is supposed to expand for 24 months.”
