WorldStage
Newsonline-- Federal
Government of Nigeria
has announced that it
has completed the
construction of 37 large
dams, rehabilitated 10
while 149 are under
construction across the
country.
The Minister of Water
Resources, Mrs. Sarah
Ochekpe in a
statement 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.
“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
statement said.
The Minister said out
of the 37 completed
dams, 16 were with
hydropower potentials
capable of generating
135.15 Megawatts of
electricity.
Ochekpe said that
when the construction
of all the dams are
completed, the water
impounded 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 per cent
completion status.
She added that 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.
