To ensure food security and availability in Kogi state, the government has assured that dams across the state will be effectively utilised for irrigation farming and power generation to enhance massive food production.
The Kogi state Commissioner for Water resources, Yahaya Danladi Farouk, stated this Tuesday while inspecting the facilities of Omi Kampe Dam in Yagba East LGA as part of the state government’s commitment to the World Bank supported project and Sustainable Power Irrigation in Nigeria (SPIN).
He said the SPIN project is aimed at utilising the dam for farming and Omi Kampe Dam has satisfied the World Bank criteria.
“This dam is a federal government operated dam under the lower Niger Basin Development Authority designed purposely for irrigation. Governor Ododo promised the people of Kogi state that agriculture and food security remains one of the priority of his administration.
“The project aims at expanding arable land around the dam itself. The second component of the project is the power generation which to a large extent was satisfied after meeting the criteria of the World Bank. It is not just this dam alone, others in the state will be considered for the project.
“It covers all the dams owned and operated by both the federal and state governments. Omi Kampe Dam has satisfied that criteria. We are also working on others in the East and Central Senatorial District of Kogi state.”
The commissioner stated that the project is expected to commence in the first quarter of 2025, noting that, “What we are doing here is the base line data collection for the commencement of the project in which Kogi state under Alhaji Ahmed Usman Ododo is almost at 90 percent.
“The state government is fully committed to pay the counterpart fund which is above N700 million because we have more of the dams in the state to cater for. We have model one and model two. This is under model one.
“We evaluated up to seven dams, both small and bigger dams in the state. But for now, following the selection criteria, the Omi Kampe Dam is 100 percent ready which will serve as a gate way for us to enter, which we have already entered. Our next move is Kogi east and central to meet the criteria of the World Bank on the SPIN project, which I believe Governor Ododo is not resting on his oars to do.”
In his remarks, a fellow of the Nigeria Institute of Water, Garabu Bello, revealed that the project is about 15 kilometer adding that, 3.5 kilometer has concrete lining and 12.5 kilometer without concrete lining.