Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has raised concerns over the widespread drilling of boreholes in homes, warning of potential long-term consequences on water levels and sustainability.

Obasanjo attributed the increasing reliance on boreholes, particularly in Abeokuta, Ogun State, to the failure of successive governments to maintain the Oyan Dam project, which his military administration initiated in 1977.

Speaking during a visit by the Ogun-Osun River Basin Development Authority (O-ORBDA) management, led by Managing Director Dr. Adedeji Ashiru, to mark World Water Day, Obasanjo stressed the importance of strategic water management in ensuring food security.

“We cannot deemphasize the importance of water to human life, which is why we say water has no enemy,” he said. “This was why, as a military head of state in 1977, I made strategic water management part of our food security efforts, leading to the creation of 11 river basins, including Lake Chad.”

He explained that the Oyan Dam was originally designed to supply water to Ogun and Lagos states while also generating 9MW of electricity. However, decades later, the project remains underutilized.

“The water supply for Abeokuta is not there, and instead, people keep drilling boreholes everywhere, causing the water level to drop. This will have repercussions, but only geologists can determine how soon,” he cautioned.

Dr. Ashiru praised Obasanjo for his foresight in establishing Nigeria’s river basin system, highlighting that his vision for water sustainability preceded similar global initiatives.

He further disclosed that President Bola Tinubu’s administration is committed to revitalizing the river basins, with plans to build seven new dams across the Southwest. The initiative, backed by a N45 billion allocation in 2025, aims to boost irrigation farming and other water-dependent projects.