In a decisive move to curb the recurring menace of floods emanating from water releases at Cameroon’s Lagdo Dam, the Federal Government has announced plans to construct the Datsin Hausa Dam in Adamawa State. The Honourable Minister of Water Resources and Sanitation, Professor Joseph Terlumun Utsev, disclosed this during an official briefing, emphasizing the strategic importance of the project to the nation’s flood mitigation and water resource development agenda.
According to the minister, the Datsin Hausa Dam will not only serve as a buffer to absorb excess water discharged from the Lagdo Dam, thereby shielding downstream communities from devastating floods, but will also bolster irrigation activities, water supply systems, and hydropower generation in the region.
“The detailed design for the dam is already completed, and we are in the process of procuring a transaction advisor to fast-track the implementation phase,” Prof. Utsev stated, reaffirming the government's commitment to long-term flood control strategies and sustainable water infrastructure.
In a related development, the Federal Government has approved funding for the reconstruction of the Alau Dam in Borno State, which was recently damaged. The restoration of this key infrastructure will further strengthen the region’s resilience against climate-related water disasters and enhance agricultural productivity.
The twin interventions reflect President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration’s focus on proactive environmental and infrastructural solutions, especially in regions vulnerable to cross-border water impacts.
As communities in northern Nigeria continue to reel from the effects of climate variability and cross-national hydrological challenges, the Datsin Hausa Dam promises to be a landmark step towards national water security and disaster risk reduction.