President Bola Tinubu, while presiding over the second day of the Federal Executive Council meeting yesterday, approved the sum of 80 billion naira for the immediate reconstruction and expansion of Alau Dam in Borno State.
Situated in the Alau community of Konduga Local Government Area of Borno State in the Northeast region of Nigeria, Alau Dam was constructed between 1984 and 1986. It impounds a major reservoir on the Ngadda River, one of the tributaries of Lake Chad.
Reports say in 2024, the dam collapsed, causing catastrophic flooding in Borno State, killing over 150 people and displacing at least 419,000 others. The Minister of Water Resources and Sanitation, Professor Joseph Utsev, disclosed that Tinubu’s approval during the council meeting followed the submission of a report by the Ministerial Committee set up on September 23, 2024, and headed by him to evaluate dams in Nigeria.
Professor Utsev stated that the committee, which included the ministers of finance, environment, works, and information, as well as the National Security Adviser, was inaugurated on October 2, 2024, with himself as chairman.
According to him, the mandate of that committee was to assess all dams in the country and provide recommendations on their optimal use, including areas such as water supply, flood control, irrigation, and fish farming, among others.