President Bola Tinubu has approved N80 billion for the reconstruction and expansion of the Alau Dam.
Recall that the collapse of Alau Dam which is situated in the Alau community of Konduga local government area of Borno State in September 2024 resulted in flooding of Maiduguri and killing over 150 people, with at least 419,000 people displaced.
Prof. Joseph Utsev, the Minister of Water Resources, confirmed this during a briefing with State House correspondents following the second FEC meeting of the year on Tuesday.
Utsev, also the chairman of the inter-ministerial committee on dams, revealed that the President had approved the rehabilitation of Alau Dam, pending ratification by the FEC.
The committee, established on Sept. 23, 2024, includes the ministers of finance, environment, works, information, and the National Security Adviser as members.
The committee was inaugurated on Oct. 2, 2024 with the goal of assessing dams nationwide and recommending improvements for better usage.
A sub-committee, co-opting members from the Nigeria Society of Engineers, the Council for Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria, and the Council of Dams Experts in Nigeria, was formed.
The committee has assessed around 35 dams and produced recommendations. An interim report was presented to the Federal Executive Council.
“So, the committee swooped into action and brought out recommendations of about 35 dams that have been assessed so far.
“Today the interim report was presented to the Federal Executive Council. The Alau Dam is very critical. We saw some challenges as a result of flooding on Sept. 10, 2024.
“The assessment of the remaining 34 dams is ongoing, and will be presented to the Federal Executive Council and the entire Nigerians,” Utsev said.
Utsev assured that the Borno government is working closely with the sub-committee to begin the project, aiming to complete the first phase before July.
He added that desilting will begin in December, with the entire project expected to take 24 months to complete.
