The Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (FUNAAB) under the leadership of the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Kolawole Salako has constructed a 7 billion litres capacity dam to address the challenge of water scarcity in the university.
Speaking during a media tour of completed and ongoing projects by his administration, Prof. Salako disclosed that the dam project, which started at the beginning of his administration in 2018 will serve hostels, offices and all other facilities on campus.
According to him, water from the Dam, which is situated about 20 kilometres away from the campus will be pumped into a 2.6 million litres reservoir and water treatment plants in the university before it is released for drinking and other purposes.
The Vice-Chancellor who revealed that the university was still expecting funds for the piping of the water, which was the only impediment left to enjoying unlimited water supply on campus, stated that the University is open to partnership that must be on equity on the Dam project.
Prof. Salako also disclosed that the University has been of support to communities in its environs stating that, “with regards to supporting the community, before now the university provided two boreholes for two neighbouring communities around the University but could not continue because of the high cost of maintenance. However, as long as people are willing to cooperate and work with the law, we will continue to support them”.
“The university is open to partnership with the community but it must be a partnership with equity. We will encourage communities to participate in farming as we are embarking on irrigation farming”, he said.
Shedding more light on the water treatment plant building and reservoirs, Prof. Salako lauded the foresight of the pioneer Vice-Chancellor of FUNAAB, Prof. ‘Nimbe Adedipe who constructed them, but said his administration had to change most of the equipment because they had become obsolete after being abandoned for over 15 years.
Giving a description of the Dam, the Contractor, Engr. Adebayo Olukayode, of Haysh-Five Resources LTD disclosed that the Dam measures about 2km to 500m, adding that the Intake structure where the water is controlled from and Pump House to pump water from the Dam to the Water Treatment Plant has been completed.
Engr. Olukayode said that apart from commercial, industrial and public use, the Dam can be used for irrigation farming, stressing that with the Centre Pivot Irrigation System Site, about 30 hectares of land can be cultivated. He added that water can be sprinkled in a circular form especially in dry seasons to cultivate crops.
He further revealed that the Dam also has a spillway that can take any volume of water, adding that excess flood cannot be experienced because the necessary mechanisms have been put in place.
Some of the completed and equipped projects visited during the media tour were the Senate Building Extension phase one, Academic Maintenance Building which would house the Directorate of Works and Physical Planning, University Power house, College of Physical Sciences and the Mechanised Palm oil and Cashew processing plants among others.
The Vice Chancellor however commended his team for their contributions and support in the last five years, stating that work continues until his last day in office.
