The federal government has reiterated its commitment to ensuring the safety and resilience of Nigeria’s dams, describing them as strategic infrastructure essential for national development.
The permanent secretary, ministry of water resources and sanitation, Mr Richard Pheelangwah, made this known at the opening of a two-day workshop on dam safety in Abuja.
The workshop is part of the stakeholders’ engagement activities under the Sustainable Power and Irrigation for Nigeria (SPIN) project which is supported by the world bank.
Pheelangwah was represented by Mr Moses Jo-madugu, director reforms consideration in the ministry.
He said the government remained resolute in strengthening dam infrastructure to support irrigation, portable water supply, hydropower and flood management.
He noted that the ministry was working closely with development partners to incorporate best practices in dams management, including early warning systems, emergency preparedness and climate adaptation strategies.
According to him, the workshop provides a platform for knowledge sharing, technical learning and collaboration among key actors in dam operation across the country.
Earlier, Mr Ali Dallah, director of Dams and Reservoir operations in the ministry said safety of nigeria’s dams must not be taken lightly, considering the role they played in supporting food production,water access,electricity and flood control.
He noted that many of the country’s dams are ageing and face growing threats from climate change, catchment degradation and unregulated urban development.
The workshop featured technical session on inspections protocols, emergency planning, safety assessment and the use of digital tools for dam monitoring.