Tinubu approves funds for abandoned Ogbese multipurpose dam in Ekiti

President Bola Tinubu has approved funding for completing the Ogbese Multipurpose Dam abandoned 15 years ago in the Ise/Orun Local Government area of Ekiti State.

The Minister of Water Resources and Sanitation, Joseph Utsev, disclosed this on Friday when he visited the dam as part of his tour of abandoned water supply schemes in the south-west.

The Ogbese Multipurpose Dam was started in 2009 and was designed to provide hydroelectric power and water supply for irrigation and domestic use for over 450,000 people in the area.

The dam was planned to generate approximately four megawatts of hydroelectric power to be added to the national grid.

It will provide water and power to Ogbese, Afolu, Ise Ekiti, Orun Ekiti, and Ikere residents in the Ekiti South Senatorial District.

The minister said President Tinubu is committed to completing all abandoned water supply projects across Nigeria and initiating new ones.

“Out of President Tinubu’s eight-point agenda, five are directly linked to the Ministry of Water Resources, including enhancing food security, ending poverty, creating jobs, stamping out corruption, and improving the environment and public health,” Mr Utsev said.

He said the current administration had already completed three dams in the Kogi, Jigawa, and Benue states. He noted that numerous water supply schemes have also been commissioned across the country, with several irrigation projects underway to support food security and convert floodwaters for agricultural use.

He said the installation of power components at the Ogbese Multipurpose Dam would commence soon, followed by the second phase, which involved irrigation and water supply.

When completed, Mr Utsev said the project would provide significant employment opportunities, particularly for women and the youth in Nigeria.

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The Director of Dams and Irrigation at the ministry, Ali Dallah, said approximately 70 per cent of the work on the Ogbese Dam had been completed, expressing confidence that the necessary installation of power components would begin shortly.

Meanwhile, the project contractor, Fahd Jammal, assured that his team would return to the site immediately upon the release of funds.

He said the delay was primarily due to funding issues and logistical challenges, such as the prolonged detention of essential equipment at the port in Lagos.