Federal Gov’t To Overhaul Alau Dam After Flood Disaster

Following the collapse of its section that led to recent devastating flooding incident, the Federal Government has announced plans to fully repair and desilt the Alau Dam in Maiduguri, the Borno State capital.

Minister of Water Resources and Sanitation, Joseph Utsev gave the assurance when he led the Inter-Ministerial Technical Committee on an assessment visit to the dam.

The committee’s visit followed the September 10th flood, which claimed many lives, displaced over a million people, and destroyed critical infrastructure and farmlands worth billions of naira in parts of the state.

The minister, represented by the Director of Dams and Reservoirs in the ministry, Malam Aliyu Dala, highlighted that the site of a collapsed dyke, which led to flooding in Maiduguri and its surrounding areas, was a key focus of the assessment.

He recalled that President Bola Tinubu had after the disaster approved critical committee for evaluation of state of dams in Nigeria with membership drawn from ministries of Works, Housing, Environment, Budget, Finance, among others.

Utsev emphasised that the committee would evaluate the physical condition of the dam, as well as its social and environmental impacts on local communities.

“This committee was formed as a response to the flood disaster in Maiduguri, triggered by the collapse of a dyke in the Alau Dam,” Utsev stated.

“We are also tasked with exploring the best options to raise the reservoir, which is the primary source of drinking water and irrigation for Maiduguri, Jere, Mafa, and other local government areas,” he said.

The minister affirmed the government’s commitment to completing the committee’s work before the next rainy season.

“The effort extends beyond the Alau Dam to other dams in the region, including the Kiri and Dadin Kowa dams, as well as others across the country,” he said.

Borno State Chairman of the Technical Sub-Committee on Development around Alau Dam, Alhaji Mohammed Sanda, who led the team around the dam structures noted that Maiduguri residents rely heavily on water from the dam for daily use.

He attributed the recent flooding to heavy rainfall, blocked river access, and the diversion of water into Lake Alau.

Representatives from the Office of the National Security Adviser, the Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE), and the Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN) are also members of the committee.