Borno Flood: Nigeria Government Begins Inspection of Dams

The Federal Government Technical Committee on appraisal of Dams has visited Ikere Gorge Dam

Borno Flood is a recent natural dis@aster in northern Nigeria. Displacing thousands of residents.

And due to the collapse of a section of the conduit of Alau dam in Maiduguri, Borno State, the gauging of dams across the country is necessary.

The Federal Government Technical Committee on appraisal of Dams has visited Ikere Gorge Dam.

The dam is located in Iseyin Local Government Area of Oyo State.

The visit was for an on-the-spot assessment of the dam’s condition. This is to prevent the repetition of Borno Flood.

The Federal Ministry of Water Resources, Director of Dams and Reservoirs, Ali Ibrahim, made this known on Saturday in Ibadan, Oyo state.

Mr Ibrahim, who led the technical board on the visit, said that the recent Borno Flood, which refers to the collapse of a section of the conduit of Alau dam in Maiduguri, Borno State, necessitated the evaluation of dams across the country.

According to Mr Ibrahim, the sub-board, which comprises inter-ministerial technical members, has a mandate to undertake a detailed assessment of dams in Nigeria.

And as we’ve stated earlier, this is to prevent the repetition of the Borno Flood situation.

He said the exercise was to determine the dams’ structural integrity, impact on downstream conditions as well as the social and environmental conditions on rural communities.

Speaking on the findings of the subcommittee on the Ikere Gorge dam, Mr Ibrahim said:

“The 41-year-old Ikere Gorge dam, though has operational and maintenance challenges, happened to be in good condition.”

He Said “the dam is intact and safe but requires minor rehabilitation, which is the vegetation on the dam that needs to be removed.

“The findings on the dam will form a robust action plan that will help to combat the challenges facing the dam structure”.

Mr Oluyemi Adekunle, the project manager of the Ikere Gorge dam, said the dam was a multi-purpose one constructed by the Ogun-Osun River Basin Authority.

Mr Adekunle said the dam was designed to generate six megawatts of electricity, to control floods for fishing and irrigation. It’s also for recreation activities and educational research.

He described the inspection of the dam as a welcome development, saying the recommendation of the sub-committee would make the project come up fully in a short time.

Mr Adekunle urged the federal government to, as a matter of urgency, fix the road from Iseyin to the dam. He added that the security of the project was also important.