The federal government is set to construct more dams across the country to improve water storage, prevent flooding, and support food production through irrigation.
The Minister of Water Resources and Sanitation, Professor Joseph Utsev, shared this update during a meeting in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State.
At the 31st Regular Meeting of the National Council on Water Resources and Sanitation, themed Water and Food Security: Challenges and Opportunities in the Face of Daunting Climate Change, Utsev explained that irrigation is key to food production, job creation, and poverty reduction.
New irrigation projects have been approved in several states, including Ondo, Kwara, Benue, Kebbi, Edo, Adamawa, and Oyo. The government is also conducting safety assessments on existing dams, following a major flood in Maiduguri last year. Efforts are ongoing to complete Mangu Dam in Plateau State and Ogbesse Dam in Ekiti State by 2025.
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The Ministry has completed 44 water supply projects and is working on 64 more, funded by the African Development Bank. Additionally, 113 water supply contracts are in progress, with plans to finalize the Asaba and Umuahia National Water Quality Reference Laboratories.
Governor Umo Eno of Akwa Ibom urged the federal government to reactivate the abandoned Nkari and Ibiono Ibom dams to support agriculture and economic growth in the state. He pledged N200 million to support irrigation projects and expressed readiness to collaborate with the federal government and development partners.
The event included an inspection of exhibition stands and a keynote address on securing Nigeria’s future through better water management.
