From Laide Raheem, Abeokuta
Oyo, Ogun and Lagos State governments have been called upon to collaborate with one another and devise strategic but practical plans to tackle the issue of annual flooding that wreaks havoc along river plains, particularly in Ogun and Lagos.
National Chairman, Nigerian Institution of Water Engineers (NIWE) Dr. Adeyinka Sobowale made this call on Friday at a press conference commemorating the 2024 World Water Celebration, held at Bolude Oyebolu Engineering Centre, Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital.
Speaking on the theme of the event ‘Water for Peace’, Sobowale observed that the high volume of water flowing from the Oyo axis through Ogun and empties into Lagos into the Atlantic Ocean, have been responsible for flooding in Ogun and Lagos states, hence, the need for the three states to cooperate and find lasting solution to the issue.
He added that most parts of the flood plains at the lower part of Ogun have been taken over by vegetable farmers along the Mokoloki and Mowe axis due to large deposit of alluvial nutrients, while other locations have been encroached for building of houses.
Sobowale said if the three states can pull their resources together to control the flood, the large volume of water can be put into more productive and beneficial purposes such as irrigation for farming and aquaculture.
He called for the construction of a third dam that will be bigger than Ikere George Dam in Oyo and Oyan Dam in Ogun State, as well as the building of a detention reservoir to control the high volume of water flowing from Oyo into Lagos and Ogun states.
On the access to safe water in Ogun State, Sobowale urged the state government to expand the public water supply to more areas, particularly in the urban areas of the state.