The Nigerian federal government has approved an allocation of N80 billion for the rehabilitation and expansion of the Alau Dam located in Maiduguri, Borno State, with the goal of reducing flooding incidents in the area. This announcement was made by the Minister of Water Resources, Professor Joseph Utsev, after a Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting led by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Professor Utsev explained that an inter-ministerial committee, established in September 2024 to assess dams throughout Nigeria, has submitted its interim report to the government. This committee comprises ministers from Finance, Environment, Works, Information, and the National Security Adviser, with the Water Resources Minister serving as the chair.
The minister emphasized that the committee was tasked with evaluating all dams in the country and providing recommendations for their effective use in water supply, flood management, irrigation, and aquaculture.
He remarked, “The Alau Dam is essential, particularly in light of the flooding issues we encountered on September 10 of last year. The designs and analyses for the dam have been finalized and submitted to the subcommittee, which resulted in President Tinubu approving an allocation of N80 billion.”
The minister further noted that the Borno State government is working in partnership with the subcommittee and the Nigerian Security Advisory Office to kick off the project. The initial phase is slated to begin in July 2025, with further components set to start by December of that same year. The entire project is expected to take 24 months to complete, effectively addressing the flooding concerns in Maiduguri.
