Borno State Governor Babagana Zulum and the Shehu of Borno, Alhaji Abubakar Ibn Umar Garbai El-Kanemi, have appealed to the Federal Government to urgently accelerate the rehabilitation and expansion of the Alau Dam to prevent a recurrence of the devastating floods experienced in 2024.
The appeal was made on Saturday during the Shehu’s traditional Sallah visit to the governor at the Government House in Maiduguri, according to the News Agency of Nigeria.
Governor Zulum expressed frustration over the slow progress of the federally approved project, warning that delays could lead to further disaster as the rainy season approaches.
“Since the groundbreaking ceremony for the dam’s reconstruction, which we all attended, progress has been far below expectations,” Zulum said.
“I’ve informed the President about the true situation and have also briefed the Vice President.
I will continue to follow up until tangible results are achieved.”
To mitigate short-term risks, Zulum noted that a state-level committee has been formed to implement immediate interventions.
The Federal Government had earlier approved N80 billion for the reconstruction and expansion of the Alau Dam, following its collapse earlier this year that triggered severe flooding across Maiduguri and surrounding communities.
The project’s formal groundbreaking took place in March.
In addition to flood prevention efforts, Governor Zulum reaffirmed his commitment to extending electricity access to all local government headquarters in the state before the end of his administration.
“These are two key priorities for me,” he said. “Insha Allah, we will connect every LGA headquarters to the national grid before my tenure ends.”
He also revealed that road rehabilitation will begin statewide once the Pulka Quarry plant is completed. “We have acquired 40 new Howo tipper trucks.
Once the quarry is ready, large-scale road repairs will commence,” Zulum added.
Echoing the governor’s concerns, the Shehu of Borno urged the Federal Government to speed up the dam project, noting that the first phase should already be completed.
“We all witnessed the disastrous flood in Maiduguri on September 10, 2024. It must not happen again,” the monarch said.
He also referenced the recent flooding in Mokwa as a stark warning and called on Governor Zulum to continue pressing the Federal Government on other critical issues, including oil exploration in Tuba, road development, and expanded access to electricity.