…moves to complete 90% of Mangu project

 

The Federal Government has unveiled plans to construct a new multipurpose dam in Limpye, Kanke Local Government Area of Plateau State, while reaffirming that the long-awaited Mangu Dam, now 90 per cent completed, will soon be delivered to boost water supply, irrigation and electricity generation.

Minister of Water Resources and Sanitation, Engr. Prof. Joseph Terlumun Utsev, disclosed this during an assessment visit to the proposed Limpye Dam site alongside the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Engr. Prof. Nentawe Goshwe Yilwatda, the Director of Dams and Reservoir Operations and Director Overseeing the Office of the Permanent Secretary, Engr. Ali Ibrahim Dallah, and other technical experts.

Utsev said the inspection was carried out on the directive of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu as part of a nationwide assessment of dams requiring rehabilitation and new development.

He explained that construction of the Limpye Dam would commence after the completion of feasibility studies, engineering designs and approval by the Federal Executive Council (FEC).

According to the minister, the project is expected to provide safe and sustainable water supply to communities in Kanke and neighbouring areas, expand irrigation farming, create jobs for women and youths, and increase hydropower generation for the national grid.

Utsev also assured that the Mangu Dam in Pankshin Local Government Area, which has reached about 90 per cent completion, would soon be completed and commissioned.

He said the facility is designed to support irrigation, hydropower generation and potable water supply for surrounding communities.

The minister further disclosed that dams being developed along the Sokoto-Badagry Superhighway corridor are intended to provide domestic water supply, promote year-round agriculture, reduce farmer-herder conflicts and improve electricity generation.

On the Alau Dam in Borno State, Utsev said rehabilitation works are progressing, adding that several other dam projects across the country are also at advanced stages of completion.

He commended President Tinubu for prioritising investments in the water and sanitation sector and pledged the ministry’s commitment to delivering critical infrastructure that supports national development.

Speaking during the visit, APC National Chairman, Prof. Nentawe Goshwe Yilwatda, said the proposed Kanke Dam would transform livelihoods through improved access to potable water, electricity, better road connectivity, economic opportunities and tourism development.

He said the water reticulation network would extend beyond Kanke to surrounding communities, including Limpye and Lantan, bringing pipe-borne water to areas that have never benefited from such services.

“The reticulation is not for Kanke alone. It will extend from Limpye to Lantan and back into the Local Government Area, providing potable water to communities that have never had access to pipe-borne water. That is what President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is doing for rural communities through urban renewal, infrastructure development and inclusive national growth,” he said.

Yilwatda added that the Tinubu administration had continued to prioritise legacy infrastructure projects in Plateau State and across the North-Central region.

Also speaking, the Director of Dams and Reservoir Operations and Director Overseeing the Office of the Permanent Secretary, Engr. Ali Ibrahim Dallah, said the visit marked the pre-feasibility stage of the proposed Limpye Dam project.

He explained that technical teams would subsequently undertake detailed feasibility studies, engineering designs and comprehensive technical assessments before construction begins.

Plateau State Commissioner for Water Resources and Energy, Hon. Bashir Lawanndi Datti, welcomed the initiative, describing the projects as critical interventions that would improve water access and enhance socio-economic development across the state.

The federal delegation also paid a courtesy visit to the Golong Ngas, Chief Jika Golit, to seek the support of the traditional institution for the successful implementation of the project.

The ministry in a statement said the visit ended with the conferment of traditional regalia on the Minister by the Ngas people of Pankshin Local Government Area and Dungung District of Kanke Local Government Area in recognition of his contribution to water infrastructure development.