Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has raised concerns over the widespread drilling of boreholes in homes, warning that the long-term effects could be dangerous. He linked the situation to the neglect of the Oyan Dam, a project initiated during his military administration in 1977.
Obasanjo spoke on the issue when he received the management and staff of the Ogun-Osun River Basin Development Authority (O-ORBDA) at his residence. The delegation, led by the Managing Director, Dr. Adedeji Ashiru, visited him in commemoration of World Water Day.
The former president noted that the uncontrolled drilling of boreholes, especially in Abeokuta, Ogun State, has been driven by the failure of successive administrations to maintain the Oyan Dam. He stated that proper management of water resources is crucial for achieving food security and ensuring a stable water supply for communities.
“We cannot deemphasise the importance or usefulness of water to human life and that is why we do say water has no enemy,” Obasanjo said.
He explained that as military head of state in 1977, he recognized the need for strategic water management as part of food production and security efforts. This led to the creation of 11 river basins, including Lake Chad, with irrigation facilities designed for year-round farming.
Obasanjo noted that Oyan Dam was built to provide water and electricity for residents of Ogun and Lagos states. However, nearly five decades later, the dam has failed to fulfill its purpose due to neglect.
“Oyan Dam was built to supply water for Abeokuta and Lagos but it has been neglected and ignored, just like the turbine for the power supply. The water supply is not there for Abeokuta and we have rather continued to dig holes everywhere, causing the water level to go down and down, which will have repercussions in the future. How long that will take is what I don’t know, but the geologist can do their job and tell us how fast that repercussions will come,” he said.
Obasanjo expressed regret that the dam, which has the capacity to generate 9 megawatts of electricity, remains idle. He noted that if properly utilized, it could contribute to addressing the nation’s power shortage.
Dr. Ashiru praised Obasanjo for his foresight in creating the river basins, stating that the former president’s vision for water resource management, established in 1977, was only recently adopted by the United Nations.
He noted that since assuming office, he and his team have been working to restore the basin’s functionality, particularly in areas of agricultural production and flood control. He also assured that President Bola Tinubu’s administration is committed to ensuring that Nigeria’s river basins are fully utilized to improve food security.
Ashiru revealed that the Ogun-Osun River Basin has planned the construction of seven new dams across the southwest region. A budget of N45 billion has been allocated for the project in 2025, with the goal of boosting irrigation farming and other essential water-related initiatives.
