President Bola Tinubu on Tuesday approved a total of N80 billion for the immediate reconstruction and expansion of the Alau dam in Borno state.
The dam, situated in the Alau community of Konduga local government area – Northeast Nigeria, was constructed in 1984-1986 but collapsed in 2024,, causing catastrophic flooding in Borno state and killing over 150 people, with at least, 419,000 people displaced.
Minister of Water Resources and Sanitation, Professor Joseph Utsev who announced the new approval while briefing State House Correspondents after the Federal Executive Council (FEC), meeting at the Presidential Villa said, Tunubu’s decision followed the submission of a report by the Ministerial Committee that was set up on the 23rd September 2024 and headed by himself for the evaluation of state of health of dams across the country.
Professor Utsev explained that the committee constituted with membership including the ministers of Finance, Environment, Works, Information & Culture as well as the National Security Adviser (NSA), was inaugurated in October 2024.
He said, “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 the 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,” the Minister added.
Professor Utsev explained, “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 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 Alau dam has been done by Mr. President, which is awaiting ratification of the Federal Executive Council when all other due process are being observed.
“The Borno state government is working with the sub-committee and members of the Nigerian security advisory office. They are working together to kick-start that project, and we believe that between now and July this year, the first component of that work will be established so that this year there will be no flooding in Maiduguri again.
“Then the other components like desilting will commence by December this year. The project is supposed to expand for 24 months,” he noted.
