Nigeria’s Minister of Water Resources, Engr. Suleiman H. Adamu, has said that the completed Galma dam located in Soba Local Government Area of Kaduna State has the ability to create job opportunities for over 1.1 million people living within its environs.
The building of the Galma dam started in 2006, it was gathered. Adamu, who inspected the project, said apart from the irrigation component, the multipurpose dam with a reservoir capacity of about 186 million cubic metre of water could also generate 2.2 megawatt of electricity and supply water to 2.2 million people in the surrounding communities up to the city of Zaria.
He commended the level of job done on the project and charged the company to facilitate the construction of the roads for easy access.
The minister had earlier commissioned the secretariat of the National Water Resources Capacity building in Kaduna.
At the event, he noted that the institute had played a significant role, especially in collaborative research and capacity building in the sector.
“I am aware of the achievements of the institute, I therefore want to challenge the Executive Director and students of the institution to redouble their efforts in achieving its set goals in line with the agenda of the present administration,” he said.
Adamu promised the ministry’s support, just as he encouraged the institute to deliver on its mandate and ensure that its reputation is sustained.
The Executive Director, Dr. Emmanuel Adanu, said the institute had the mandate, to among others, promote and develop training courses, perform applied research, promote necessary codes of practice and cooperation with similar bodies within and outside the country as well as international bodies.
Adanu said the institute had enjoyed tremendous support of the Minister of Water Resources since his assumption of duty. He added that in the current financial year, the budgetary allocation to the institute had tremendously increased, while patronage of its tailor-made short courses by the ministry and its departments had taken positive turn.
He appealed to the minister to encourage the ministry, departments, RBDAs as well as its agency to participate in the short and long term training programmes of the institute and to expand and regularize the youth empowerment programmes.
