Aiyedatiwa partners AFD, AfDB to revive moribund Ondo water dam

File: Governor of Ondo State, Lucky Aiyedatiwa

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The Ondo State Governor, Mr Lucky Aiyedatiwa, on Tuesday said he would ensure that the moribund Owena Water Dam is resuscitated so that many residents of the state would enjoy pipe-borne water.

To this end, Aiyedatiwa declared that the era of prolonged water scarcity in the state was nearing its end, assuring residents of clean, safe, and sustainable water after decades of dry taps.

He made the declaration at the groundbreaking of the AFD- and AfDB-assisted water supply projects at the Owena Dam in Igbara-Oke, the headquarters of the Ifedore Local Government Area of the state.

Describing the occasion as a revival of a long-abandoned vision, the governor said it symbolised a renewed promise of clean and safe water for residents who had endured decades of inadequate supply.

He observed that the stalled Owena Multipurpose Dam Water Treatment Plant had represented lost opportunities for years, but with the intervention of the Agence Française de Développement (AFD) and the African Development Bank (AfDB), Ondo State is embarking on a historic turnaround.

The governor explained, “The Urban Water Supply Project would rehabilitate the Owena Water Treatment Plant, deliver new transmission mains to Akure and environs, construct 7,500m³ reservoirs, and expand urban distribution networks.

“The AfDB-assisted component would strengthen sanitation systems and extend water access across seven local government areas — Akure South, Akure North, Idanre, Ifedore, Ile-Oluji/Okeigbo, Ondo East, and Ondo West. I want to assure that no community will be left behind.”

Highlighting the broader potential of the dam, Aiyedatiwa stated that it would support irrigation, fisheries, renewable energy, and tourism.

He expressed gratitude to AFD, AfDB, AGTF, and the Federal Government for their support and urged contractors to execute the projects with integrity and diligence.

He added that his administration would continue to prioritise potable water and strengthen institutions responsible for long-term service delivery.

In his welcome address, the Commissioner for Water Resources, Public Sanitation and Hygiene, Ayodele Akande, described the event as a historic breakthrough in the state’s quest for a dependable water supply.

Akande recalled that the last major intervention in Akure dated back to the 2009 Owena Dam project, which never reached its potential.

He said, “The new phase goes beyond breaking physical ground. We are breaking the barriers of scarcity, unfulfilled hopes, and interrupted dreams.”

The project marks a renewed effort to revive a facility widely described as moribund, which has struggled to deliver water to its intended communities for many years.

Although the main dam structure was commissioned in 2007, the scheme has never become fully operational because the transmission mains and distribution networks required to convey treated water to Akure and adjoining areas were not completed.

Successive attempts to reticulate the system stalled, leaving the dam and its treatment plant largely unused.

As a result, residents in the affected local government areas have continued to rely heavily on boreholes, wells, and other non-piped sources despite substantial public investment in the Owena scheme.

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