Nigerian FEC approves N1.2bn Obudu Dam rehabilitation project

ABUJA—Federal Executive Council, FEC, yesterday, approved a contract for the rehabilitation of Obudu Dam in Cross River State at the cost of N1.165 billion. This is to enable Cross River State government carry out its regional urban water supply project, which will cover four communities of Obudu, Ogoja, Ikom and Calabar. Minister of Water Resources, Mrs. Stella Ochepe, who joined her Information counterpart, Labaran Maku, to address newsmen after the meeting, said the dam, which belongs to the Federal Government, had been in a state of disrepair for some time. She said: “The Cross River State government has since 2005 got an International Development Association, IDA, loan to develop the regional water scheme that will meet the needs of these communities in the state. “Because of the state of Obudu Dam, it has been impossible for that project to commence. The contract was awarded at the cost of N1.165 billion.” Ochepe said the dam was due for rehabilitation under the World Bank Assisted Second National Urban Sector Reform Project. She said: “It has a storage capacity of 1.25 million cubic metres and is for multipurpose use. Other uses include irrigation for about 100 hectares of agricultural land, fisheries and tourism. Cross River State government is carrying out rehabilitation in the water sector. “It is reforming its water sector, but they need a source of raw water and the World Bank insist that the integrity of every dam they are using must be assessed. “Obudu dam was assessed and it was discovered it needed rehabilitation and that was why they gave the note for rehabilitation work to be carried out. This project will be financed 200 percent by IDA credit. The contract sum is N1.165 billion.”