Federal Government to Build Seven Dams in Southwest for Irrigation and Food Security
The Federal Government has announced plans to construct seven dams across six southwestern states, aimed at improving irrigation, boosting food production, and mitigating ecological issues like flooding. Dr. Adedeji Ashiru, Managing Director of the Ogun-Osun River Basin Development Authority, shared the development on Wednesday during the 46th Annual Conference of the Association for Consulting Engineering in Nigeria, held in Lagos.
In line with President Bola Tinubu’s agenda to elevate food security and manage flood risks, the dams are expected to feature 12 greenhouses per site, open fields for farming, and storage facilities. Dr. Ashiru confirmed that contracts for the projects will be awarded imminently, stating, “These dams are part of our commitment to enable all-year-round farming, aligning with the President’s agricultural policy.”
Ashiru also addressed the dormant hydropower capacity of the Oyan Dam. Built in 1979 with three turbines capable of generating nine megawatts of electricity, the dam’s potential has long remained untapped. Talks are underway with investors to revive this power generation capacity through a concession agreement, potentially finalising by next year. “This would not only increase our energy capacity but also leverage Oyan Dam’s strategic position to power nearby communities,” Ashiru said.
Highlighting the environmental benefits, Ashiru noted the role of dams in flood control, particularly as the region faces more frequent extreme weather. “The foresight behind Oyan Dam’s construction has saved parts of Abeokuta and Isheri from disastrous flooding,” he explained, urging engineers to design resilient buildings that can withstand climate impacts.
Kem-Selem Bukar, President of the Association for Consulting Engineering in Nigeria, noted that the conference’s theme—Sustainable Development: Building Resilient Cities—was inspired by the growing challenges posed by climate change. The association aims to propose resilience-focused policies to Nigerian authorities by the conference’s end.
Bukar also addressed Nigeria’s alarming rate of building collapses, averaging three incidents per week. As head of the Engineering Regulatory Committee of the Council for Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN), he revealed the recent establishment of ten regulatory standards to curb malpractice. “We have identified that many collapses involve unregistered practitioners,” Bukar stated, adding that the new regulations empower authorities to impose strict penalties, including fines and imprisonment, on violators.
With these strategic projects and regulatory frameworks, Nigeria’s engineering community seeks to drive a paradigm shift toward safer, climate-resilient infrastructure, as both public and private sectors strive to future-proof against the growing threats of climate change.
