The Federal Government said on Thursday that it is working on upgrading the Alau Dam in Borno State. The project, which costs N80 billion, will help provide water for irrigation and also generate electricity once it is completed in 2027.
The Minister of Water Resources and Sanitation, Professor Joseph Utsev, said this during a visit to the dam site in Alau Community, near Maiduguri.
He said, “We came to Borno to check the progress of the work at the Alau Dam.”
He explained that the dam was first built to supply drinking water. But under President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, N80 billion has been approved to rebuild and upgrade the dam.
Borno is known for farming, and the government wants to support more food production. So, the upgrade plan for the dam includes support for irrigation farming.
When the work is done, the Alau Dam will provide water to Maiduguri and nearby areas, support irrigation, and later help produce hydro-electric power.
The minister said the project has two phases. The first phase should end in September this year, and the second will start in October and finish by March 2027.
He said the first phase aims to reduce the risk of flooding this rainy season, since it is hard to do major construction during heavy rains.
The second phase will begin in October and be completed in March 2027, when the full upgrade of the dam will be finished.
The minister praised President Tinubu and Governor Babagana Zulum for supporting the project, which he said is very important for both Borno and Nigeria.
He also asked the state government and people in Alau to help educate local farmers to stop planting crops on the dam’s embankment, as it is under construction.
Finally, he told residents not to worry about possible flooding, saying there is no need to fear water overflowing from the dam.
