Former President Olusegun Obasanjo on Friday inaugurated a seven billion litre capacity Dam at the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (FUNAAB), in Ogun.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the dam is situated about 20 kilometres away from the university campus.
Obasanjo, represented by his son, Dr Seun Obasanjo, commended the Vice Chancellor of the University, Prof. Kolawole Salako, for the project.
The former president urged other institutions and communities to emulate such gesture, adding that it would enhance the national development.
“If each institution and each community are doing this kind of projects, the nation will develop a lot faster.
“One of the nations developmental goals is the provisions of clean water and that is what this project will achieve.
“Even in this community, it will touch a lot of lives, therefore it is my honour. I am happy to be here to commission this project and am happy the institution is moving forward,” he said.
Obasanjo said he would be willing to work continuously with the institution and the community, to attract more development to the axis.
“Even if it means partnering for the electricity generation, we can have a public private partnership (PPP) arrangement. I’m ready to serve and I am ready to join with this community,” he said.
In his remarks, Salako said that the construction of the dam started in 2018 to address the perennial water supply challenges on the campus and its environment.
The vice chancellor said that the project would also serve as source of water for irrigation farmers.
“We might be ambitious enough in the future to generate electricity, the investment will really be heavy to get that done and we may be lucky to get the money and get electricity,” he said.
Salako said the dam would serve the entire campus including hostels, official quarters and other facilities of the institution.
