A Sad Tale of Nigeria’s Underutilised Dams
Dams are constructed to augment shortfall of water supply, especially during dry season but, unfortunately, several dams built across the country have been abandoned by governments.
Investigations by Daily Trust has revealed that most dams established in Nigeria for irrigation or for potable water, are not serving the purpose for which they are meant for because they are either not functional or underutilised.
In Gombe State, the Dadin Kowa Dam, located about 40 kilometres along Numan highway, was completed in 1984 by the federal government for irrigation, domestic use and hydro-power generation to the North-East geo-political zone.
However, 32 years after, the dam is yet to be utilised to full capacity. So far, only farmers along the river bank engage in irrigation activities for some cash and food crops.
Some of the farmers told Daily Trust that the relevant authorities have neglected the facility making it to operate below capacity.
Mohammed Hassan Gwani, a farmer in Dadin Kowa town, said that due to lack of the canals, farmers depend on hand pumps for watering their farms.
He said he could only cultivate only three hectares of land due to lack of support from government to enable him undertake mechanised farming.
However, investigation conducted by the Daily Trust in Nasarawa State revealed that there are three abandoned dams in the state, out of which two are federal government-owned. They are the Domaand Tede dams, initiated by former President Ibrahim Babangida. The dams are under the supervision of the Lower Benue River Basin Development Authority, (LBRBDA).
The third abandoned dam project at Tunga Nufawa, is owned by the state. A former governor, Senator Abdullahi Adamu, started its construction and was unable to complete the project. However, none of his predecessors seemed interested in completing the project since he left in 2007.
In Niger State, fourteen dams were established by both the state and federal governments for multiple reasons.
The director of dams and reservoirs in the state’s ministry of water resources and dams development, Malam Abdullahi Adamu, told Daily Trust that: “Each of the four dams constructed by the state government have been faced with challenges for several years and nothing much has been done to overcome the challenges, especially on the turn-around maintenance.”
In Kano State, about 120 earth dams exist, with Chalawa Gorge and Tiga dams standing as the two major facilities. It was gathered that these two dams are controlled by the Hadejia Jama’are River Basin Development Authority (HJRBDA).
A visit to the Wase Dam located at Minjibir local government, revealed that it has been partly put to use in irrigation and locals fish there too.
However, a resident in the area, Malam Sani Bala, said that the dam’s water is polluted because waste water from the Kano metropolis and the Gunduwawa/Bampai industrial areas goes into it.
In Benue State, the available dams are not well positioned to serve their purposes.
The Otukpo multi-purpose dam conceived to provide residents with potable water, irrigation and power generation has been shrouded in lots of controversy which stalled its completion since 2014. There is also an abandoned dam in Naka, the headquarters of Gwer West Local Government Area.
The Benue State Chairman of the All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN), Aondona Hembe Kula, said that the absence of functional dams in the state is hampering irrigation farming and constitutes a threat to the dry season farming canvassed by the present administration in the state.
There are seven major dams in Plateau State, situated in Pankshin, Mangu, Shendam, Langtang, Jos North and Jos South local government areas. Jos North boasts of two of the oldest dams-the Kogin Ngiri Dam, built in 1935, and Lamingo Dam, constructed in 1972. In the state, only Kurra Falls, a major tourism destination in Barkin Ladi Local Government Area, is used for hydroelectricity.
The general manager of the state’s water board, Lambert Gomzuk, said the dams are located where there are challenges of erosion.
There are three big dams in Jigawa State. They are Warwade Dam, Kazaure Dam and Auyo Dam. The dams are mostly used by local farmers for irrigation of rice, watermelon, sugarcane, pepper and tomatoes and fishing.
A former chairman of the state’s chapter of the All Farmers Association of Nigeria, (AFAN), Isa Yandutse, told Daily Trust that owing to some problems facing the dams, the level of production of farmers has dropped.
Silting of the dams and typha grass problems are some of the major challenges, he said.
Speaking with Daily Trust in Gusau, Zamfara State, the Commissioner for Rural and Community Development, Alhaji Lawali M. Liman, said that construction of earth dams in the state remains a top priority.
He said that dams rehabilitated are in Sabon Fegi in Tsafe and Gwaram in Talata Mafara local government areas which are used for irrigation.
On the challenges, Alhaji Liman said that residents within the location of the dams are using the soil for embankment to mould blocks to build house, thereby shrinking the water level and allowing water to escape.
In Cross River State, aside the dam in Boki Local Government Area, built by the Cross River Basin Development Authority, (CRBDA), which also manages three other dams in Obudu, the Kwa Falls Dam in Akamkpa and Nkari Dam in Ini local government areas of Akwa Ibom State.
The CRBDA has completed and handed over many other water schemes in different communities in the state for purposes of agriculture and water supply. From 2000 until now, the authority has constructed over 131 drainage and water schemes.
The major challenge facing dams in the state is the inability to regularly maintain them and or complete existing ones.
In Abia State, Engineer (Mrs) Stepney Tolubanwo, the head of irrigation unit, National Root Crops Research Institute, (NRCRI) Umudike, said that the institute has only one dam which supplies water to seedlings and fish ponds.
She said the dam was established over 30 years ago after which the institute was opened and it is used mainly for the dry season research and production work.
The Oyan River Dam located in Abeokuta North, Ogun State, has a capacity of 270m m3 and spreads across 4,000 hectares.
The head of water resources in the Lagos State Ministry of Environment, Mr Adebola Adepegba, told Daily Trust that the dam is used for many purposes, including irrigation, fishing, power generation and water supply for both Lagos and Ogun states, especially during the dry season.
During a visit to the dam, our reporter observed that it still functions well. However, cobwebs, weeds and signs of decay were taking over some parts of the dam.
Borno State has two dams but only one, the Alau Dam, constructed by the federal government in 1988 and managed by the Chad Basin Development Authority, provides water for human and animal consumption and agricultural uses.
Located at Alau village, Jere local government, the dam serves as the main source of water supply to Maiduguri, capital of the state, and its environs, the Daily Trust gathered.
The acting executive director planning and design, Chad Basin Development Authority, Engineer Babagana Uroma, said that Borno State derives a lot of benefits from the dam, particularly in areas of irrigation services, fishing and water for human and animal consumption.
Uroma said that the initial purpose of establishing the dam was to serve irrigation projects such as the Jere Bowl Rice Scheme.
Speaking on the source of water to the dam, the acting chief executive said that River Yedzaram and Gombole were channelled to River Ndadda, which is the primary source from the Sambisa Control Layout constructed in 1989 to supply the dam.
The Minister of Water Resources, Engr. Suleiman Adamu, has said that many federal government dams are underutilised, assuring that the government was ready to not only repositioning them but make good of use the facilities.
Adamu stated this after flagging off the first Graduates Youths Empowerment Scheme in the area of fish farming and crop production in Kogi State.
However, with the federal government emphasis on agriculture as avenue for enhanced revenue generation and employment, dams must be revitalised to help in achieving the set goals.