President Bola Tinubu, while presiding over the second day of the Federal Executive Council meeting, approved the sum of N80 billion for the immediate reconstruction and expansion of Alau Dam in Borno State.
Situated in the Alau community of Konduga Local Government Area of Borno State in the Northeast region of Nigeria, Alau Dam was constructed between 1984 and 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, killing over 150 people and displacing at least 419,000 others.
The Minister of Water Resources and Sanitation, Prof. Joseph Utsev, disclosed that Tinubu’s approval during the council meeting followed the submission of a report by the Ministerial Committee set up on September 23, 2024, and headed by him to evaluate dams in Nigeria.
Prof. Utsev stated that the committee, which included the ministers of finance, environment, works, and information, as well as the National Security Adviser, was inaugurated on October 2, 2024, with himself as chairman.
According to him: “The mandate of that committee was to assess all dams in the country and provide recommendations on their optimal use, including areas such as water supply, flood control, irrigation, and fish farming, among others.
“The committee constituted a subcommittee that co-opted members of the Nigerian Society of Engineers, the Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria, and the Council of Dam Experts in Nigeria.
“The committee swiftly commenced work and assessed approximately 35 dams, bringing forth recommendations.
“Today, the interim report was presented to the Federal Executive Council. We identified some challenges resulting from the flooding on September 10 last year.
“The design, analysis, and all necessary assessments of Alau Dam were completed and presented to the subcommittee. That report was submitted to Mr President, and he graciously approved N80 billion for the immediate reconstruction and expansion of Alau Dam in Borno State.
“As it stands now, the approval for the rehabilitation of Alau Dam has been granted by Mr President, awaiting ratification by the Federal Executive Council once all due processes have been observed.
“The Borno State Government is collaborating with the subcommittee and members of the Nigerian Security Advisory Office. They are working together to kick-start the project, and we believe that by July this year, the first component of the work will be completed, ensuring that there will be no flooding in Maiduguri this year.
“The desilting process will commence by December this year. The entire project is expected to span a period of 24 months.”
