The Federal Government is preparing the Kiri Dam in Adamawa State for electricity generation.
The dam, located in Shelleng, is a major water reservoir which currently provides the water for the irrigation of the cane plantation of the Dangote Sugar Refinery in Numan.
Indications emerged on Friday that the Federal Government has begun moves to ensure the utilization of the dam to generate electricity. The move is in line with a bid to expand the sources of electricity for the country’s economy
During a facility tour of the dam to ascertain its integrity, the Director of Dams and Reservoir Operations of the Federal Ministry of Water Resources and Sanitation, Ali Dalla, said the government has started a retrofitting exercise to update the dam for the purpose of power generation.
“We have found out that the dam is capable of generating electricity. By the time the study is completed, further information will be revealed about the capacity of the power to be generated,” Ali Dalla said.
Dalla, expressing optimism in the integrity of the dam, said even after more than 40 years in existence, the dam is still in good shape.
“We are here in continuation of our visit to dams in Nigeria. The essence of the visit is to see its physical condition in order for us to ascertain its health and to avert recurrence of similar flood that happens in Alau Dam in Borno State,” he explained.
Still on the Kiri Dam, the water resources engineer said, “I can vouch for the integrity of this dam from the physical inspection that we have carried out.
“Establishing the integrity of any dam does not just stop at the physical inspection, it includes the internal examination of dam using some parameters. We have not done that but we can tell you without any fear that this dam is in good shape.”
