By Adamu Yusuf
World Bank specialists have assessed the safety and structural condition of the Kangimi dam in Kaduna State under the Sustainable Power and Irrigation for Nigeria (SPIN) Project.
The State Project Coordinator for SPIN, Engineer Hashim Jafar Usman, while speaking with journalists after the assessment visit by the World Bank dam-safety specialists said the visit was aimed at assessing the condition of the dam and determining measures required to strengthen its safety and support rehabilitation efforts.
According to him, although reports had recently raised concerns that the Kangimi dam was at risk of imminent collapse, the assessment conducted so far had not established any structural problem suggesting such a situation.
Engineer Usman said, “What we have seen today is not different from what we know. Kangimi dam is stable and okay. So far, we have not seen anything wrong with the structure of the dam.”
He explained that the SPIN Project would undertake rehabilitation interventions focused primarily on improving dam safety.
The Coordinator said the state was preparing to engage consultants to conduct a comprehensive Dam Safety Assessment and develop a Dam Safety Management Plan.
He explained that the documents would provide the necessary framework for monitoring, managing and maintaining the safety of the dam.
Engineer Usman further explained that SPIN was not limited to Kaduna State, but was a nationwide project being implemented across the 36 states of the federation.
He said the project was designed to improve water resources management, strengthen dam safety and expand irrigation development to boost agricultural production.
According to him, the irrigation scheme currently has about 87 hectares of land under cultivation, but the project aims to expand the area to approximately 1,500 hectares.
He said the expansion would enable farmers to cultivate the land during both rainy and dry seasons, thereby increasing agricultural production and contributing to food security.
Engineer Usman added that the intervention would not only benefit communities in Kaduna State but would also contribute to the broader agricultural development and food security objectives of the country.
In an interview with Radio Nigeria Kaduna, a resident of Rogi Community, Ibrahim Galadima said the dam is currently in good condition, dismissing reports that it had developed cracks or was at risk of collapsing.
He, however, called for urgent rehabilitation of the dam, including the removal of overgrown vegetation and deepening of the structure to improve its effectiveness.
According to him, the poor condition of the community road is making it difficult for farmers to transport their produce to the market after harvest.
Kaladima also described the condition of the community’s health facility as critical, saying the area has only a small clinic with just one health worker.
He explained that although the local government had posted health workers to the facility, some were reluctant to report for duty because of the poor road network and insecurity in the area.
The community leader appealed to the Kaduna State Government under Governor Uba Sani to renovate and equip the health facility and deploy additional health workers to the community.
He also called for improved staffing of the community’s primary and secondary schools, noting that the shortage of teachers was affecting the education of children in the area.
Galadima urged the administration to provide adequate teachers and improve educational facilities to ensure better learning outcomes for children in the community.
Editing by Khadija Kubau
