To avert future disasters, the Nigerian government has mandated integrity tests on all dams across the country. This decision was announced by President Bola Tinubu during a televised address marking Nigeria’s Independence Day.

“Our government has been responding to the recent natural disasters, particularly the flooding in parts of the country,” Tinubu noted. He emphasized the federal government’s commitment to supporting citizens during crises, following Vice President Kashim Shettima’s visit to Maiduguri. In the latest Federal Executive Council meeting, a Disaster Relief Fund was established to facilitate resource mobilization from both public and private sectors for quicker emergency responses. “Our government has also ordered integrity tests of all our dams in the country to avert future disasters,” he confirmed.

This announcement follows a catastrophic incident in Maiduguri, where the collapse of the Alau dam submerged over half the city, displacing residents and destroying farmland, businesses, and hospitals. Borno State Governor Babagana Zulum criticized the Federal Ministry of Water Resources for neglecting routine dam maintenance, stating, “The Federal Ministry of Water Resources ought to have been carrying out routine maintenance of dams. Honestly speaking, this has not been done for a long time. This is something that we need to put our heads together so that we can do it.”