By Uthman Abubakar
The groundbreaking for the reconstruction of Alau Dam, Konduga Local Government Area, Borno State, was performed, weekend, with flood risk mitigation topping the key aims of the 2-phase project.
The dam collapsed on September 10, 2024, causing catastrophic flooding that killed no fewer than 150 persons and affected over one million people.
The federal government recently allocated N80 billion for the reconstruction and upgrading of the facility.
The dam was built between 1984 and 1986. It stored water from the Ngadda River, a Lake Chad tributary, mainly used for irrigation and as a tap water source within Maiduguri and its environs.
Governor Babagana Zulum, at the occasion, outlined several key benefits the people of Borno will gain from the rehabilitation of the dam, including enhanced agricultural activities, improved water supply, flood control, economic diversification, and community empowerment.
Zulum said, “We understand that sustainable development is inextricably linked to the availability of water resources, and the Alau Dam is crucial in this regard,” adding, “The restoration and rehabilitation of this dam will, therefore, bring numerous benefits to our people.”
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He expressed confidence that the rehabilitated dam would significantly improve irrigation capacity, enabling our farmers to cultivate more land and increase their yields.
“This will boost food security, create employment opportunities and contribute to the overall economic development of the state,” Zulum said.
Minister of Water Resources and Sanitation, Prof Joseph Terlumun Utsev, who was the special guest of honour at the groundbreaking ceremony said the rehabilitation would be conducted in two phases.
He said phase one would be executed between February and September 2025 to cover the critical interventions to mitigate immediate flood risks, while phase two will focus on extensive distilling and structural enhancements to ensure long-term functionality and resilience of the dam, commencing from October 2025.
According to the minister, when completed, the Alau Dam would enhance the provision of drinking water and revamp agricultural activities for thousands of people around the facility.
“It is evident that the reconstruction and upgrade of Alau Dam will significantly enhance the provision of potable drinking water, support downstream irrigation, boost socio-economic activities and enable flood control while facilitating other viable socio-economic activities capable of revamping people’s livelihoods and economic development. The project work is structured in two phases over a completion period of 24 months,” Prof Utsev disclosed .
Speaking earlier in his welcome address, the Borno State Commissioner of Water Resources, Engr Tijjani Goni Alkali, applauded the federal government for its timely intervention in rehabilitating the dam.
