Adejoke Monsurat
A team of experts from the Federal Water Resources of Nigeria led by Engr. Ali Ibrahim Dala, Director of Dams Resources are currently evaluating the safety status of dams across Nigeria.
The team, part of the Inter-ministerial Technical Committee on the Evaluation of Dams in Nigeria, recently visited various dams in South West to assess their condition and potential for flood control.
During the team’s recent visit to a dam in Ogun/Oshun River Basin Oyan Dam in Ogun State, Engr. Dala highlighted the crucial role of dams in mitigating flood risks.
He explained that dams help regulate water flow, store excess water, and prevent downstream flooding.
“We’ve seen numerous instances of river banks overflowing, leading to significant property damage and displacement of residents,” said Engr. Dala.
“Nigeria currently lacks the necessary number of dams to effectively control flooding.”
However, the expert team has observed that many dams in Nigeria are aging and require maintenance and upgrades.
Sediment builds up in reservoirs can reduce their storage capacity, hindering their ability to control floods.
To address these challenges, Engr. Dala emphasized the need for increased investment in dam construction and maintenance. He also called for regular dredging of rivers to remove debris and improve their capacity to handle excess water.
“By increasing the number of dams and improving their maintenance, we can significantly reduce the impact of floods in Nigeria,” he stated.
“Countries like the US and China have thousands of dams, demonstrating the effectiveness of this approach.”
Meanwhile the team’s evaluation will provide valuable insights into the current state of Nigeria’s dam infrastructure and help inform future policy decisions related to flood control and water resource management.
Experts Assess, Oyan Dam, Nigeria’s Dam Infrastructure, Flood Control,
Facts About Oyan River Dam
The Oyan River Dam is in Abeokuta North local government area of Ogun State in the West of Nigeria, about 20 km north west of the state capital Abeokuta. The dam crosses the Oyan River, a tributary of the Ogun River. It is used primarily to supply raw water to Lagos and Abeokuta, but has potential for use in irrigation and power generation.
According to IE Ofoezie and SO Asaolu,(1997) in their writing, “Water level regulation and control of schistosomiasis transmission: a case study in Oyan Reservoir, Ogun State, Nigeria”. Bulletin of the World Health Organization. 75 (5): 435–41, “The dam was commissioned on 29 March, 1983 by President Shehu Shagari, and is operated by the Ogun-Osun River Basin Development Authority. “The lake is in the savannah region, with sparse trees and grasses and low fertility. It covers 4,000 hectares and has a catchment area of 9,000 km2.”
The dam has a crest length of 1044 m, height 30.4 m and gross storage capacity of 270 million m3. It was designed to supply raw water to Lagos and Abeokuta, and to support the 3,000 hectare Lower Ogun Irrigation Project. Three turbines of 3 megawatts each were installed in 1983 but as of 2024 had not been used.
Hope Afoke Orivri reported in the Nigerian Compass of 26 May 2009, “Flood imminent in River Ogun plain’” that in May 2009, after heavy rainfall the dam operators were forced to release exceptional amounts of water from the dam for safety reasons, causing some flooding over an area of 2,800 hectares. In February 2010, the dam was failing to deliver sufficient raw water for the Abeokuta water works to meet demands.
In 2010, the federal government in its appropriation proposal, budgeted N43 million for construction of the gravity irrigation scheme at the dam and N11 million for dam operations.