ABEOKUTA, Nigeria – Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has raised concerns over the increasing practice of drilling water boreholes in residential areas, particularly in Abeokuta, Ogun State.
Speaking at the World Water Day event over the weekend, Obasanjo warned that the repercussions of this practice could be severe and far-reaching.
The former President attributed the widespread borehole drilling to the failure of successive administrations to sustain the Oyan Dam project, initiated during his military rule in 1977.
In a statement released by his Special Assistant on Media, Kehinde Akinyemi, Obasanjo highlighted the critical importance of water management and its direct link to food security.
“We cannot de-emphasise the importance or usefulness of water to human life and this is why we do say water has no enemy,” Obasanjo said.
He explained that the Oyan Dam, originally designed to supply water and generate power for Ogun and Lagos States, has failed to meet expectations 48 years after its construction.
He noted that the dam has the capacity to generate 9 megawatts of electricity, which, if harnessed, could help alleviate the country’s ongoing power supply challenges.
Obasanjo further criticised the growing reliance on boreholes in Abeokuta, warning that the continuous drilling would eventually lead to a drop in water levels, with consequences that may not yet be fully understood.
“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,” he said.
“That will have repercussions in the future, how long we shall have it I don’t know, but the geologist can do their job and tell us how fast that repercussions will come.”
The former president also emphasised the need for effective water management to achieve food sufficiency.
He argued that relying solely on rain-fed agriculture, which is vulnerable to droughts and floods, would not ensure food security.
“The first thing to do as part of measure designed to achieve food security is effective management of water for agriculture,” Obasanjo stated, underscoring the importance of irrigation systems in supporting year-round farming.
Obasanjo’s remarks came during a visit by the management and staff of the Ogun-Osun River Basin Development Authority (O-ORBDA), led by Managing Director Adedeji Ashiru.
Ashiru praised Obasanjo’s foresight in creating 11 river basins in 1977, a vision that has since been recognised by the United Nations in its Sustainable Development Goals related to clean water and sanitation.
The O-ORBDA has been working to ensure the vision of water resource management and sustainability is realised, with significant support from the federal government.
In 2024, the government provided funding for the construction of seven dams across the Southwest, with a N45 billion budgetary allocation for 2025 to drive irrigation farming.
The continued development of river basin projects, according to Ashiru, is central to President Bola Tinubu’s food security goals, ensuring the effective use of the country’s water resources for agriculture and flood control.
