Federal Government of Nigeria has announced that it has completed the construction of 37 large dams and constructions of 149 other dams are ongoing all over the country for the four years of President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan’s administration.
The Minister of Water Resources Mrs. Sarah Reng Ochekpe made this known in her presentation at the just concluded four days Public Affairs Forum on the Jonathan Administration, Four Impactful Years organized by the office of the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Public Affairs Dr. Doyin Okupe in Abuja held from 30th October 2014 to 4th November 2014.
The Minister said that the Ministry engaged in the construction, operation and maintenance of dams nationwide to impound raw water for potable water supply, hydropower, irrigation, fishery development, flood control, tourism and recreation.
She said “the Ministry, in the last four years completed 37 large dams of various sizes, rehabilitated 10 dams, while the construction works on 149 dams of various capacities are on-going across the country”.
The Minister said out of the 37 completed dams, 16 were with hydropower potentials capable of generating 135.15 Megawatts of electricity, adding that when the construction works of all the dams are completed the water impoundment in the nation’s dams would be increased by 3.6 billion cubic meters
Ochekpe further said that some existing dams including the breached Goronyo Dam emergency spillway in Sokoto, Alau Dam in Borno, Tiga and Chalawa Gorge dams in Kano, Hadejia Barrage in Hadejia as well as other dams in many states have been rehabilitated for more optimal operation.
Speaking on Kashimbila multipurpose dam, the Minister said that the dam was intended to control likely flood from the imminent collapse of lake Nyos upstream in Cameroon and it had recorded 87% completion status. She also said the procurement of the works on the proposed Datsin Hausa Dam that would address the issues of flooding as a result of uncontrolled releases of water from Lagdo Dam in Cameroon is currently under review.
The office of the Special Assistant to the President Dr. Doyin Okupe organized the forum and key Ministries that are leading the transformation Agenda of President Goodluck Jonathan were invited to present their scorecard in the past four years of President Jonathan’s administration.
er the years.”
