By Charity Nwakaudu, Abuja
The Federal Government said on Tuesday that it has commenced plans to dredge Rivers Niger and Benue in order to enhance water transportation and to tackle the unending devastating disaster caused by flood in most parts of the country amounting to lost of lives and property.
Minister of Walter Resources Suleiman Adamu, who disclosed the information at the second edition of Nigeria Media Water week in Abuja, said that work has commenced on the masterplan scheme for the dredging of Rivers Niger and Benue.
Adamu explained that the ministry decided to develop the masterplan for both Rivers due to the nature of the project and fear of abandonment of projects which characterises public works in Nigeria.
He stated that, so far, 10 new dams have been completed by the Federal Government, with additional six at different stages of completion to improve power generation, create employment and minimize flood incidence in the country.
He said: ‘The challenges we experience most often in this country as regards projects are that an administration will start a project and it will be abandoned by its successor. So we are trying to have masterplan scheme for the Rivers Niger and Benue because that is where we have the major flood in Nigeria. We will ensure that it’s passed into law so that it must be completed. It’s a project that will take a long period of time and capital intensive.’
He disclosed that the development of the dam infrastructures across the country has created about 20,400 direct and indirect jobs.