Ilaro Poly Rector says school’s dam project will boost food security

The Rector of the Federal Polytechnic, Ilaro, recently renamed Federal University of Technology, Ilaro, Dr Mukail Akinde, has described the ongoing construction of the school’s dam as a timely intervention to enhance food security in the country and tackle flooding and erosion in the community.

Akinde said that the multimillion-naira dam project is a perfect complement to the newly accredited School of Agriculture, which has been designed to take advantage of the availability of the water source to equip its students with useful practical experience, in addition to becoming the needed booster for food security in the community and the country at large.

The Rector, in a statement on Saturday, therefore lauded President Bola Tinubu for approving the construction of the dam, which he said further confirms the strong belief that the present administration is committed to achieving food sufficiency for the nation’s growing population.

He also said that the polytechnic is grateful to the Senator representing Ogun West Senatorial District, Solomon Adeola, fondly called Yayi, for facilitating the dam project among other numerous developmental strides.

Akinde said that he could not hide his excitement in the outgoing week, seeing the long-awaited construction of the expansive dam taking off, as the Ogun-Osun River Basin Development Authority performed the groundbreaking of the dam project.

He stated, “With this dam, I can tell you for free that the FPI can conveniently improve the food security in this community, as the school is capable of cultivating at least a hundred hectares of any crop.

“For example, the experiment we conducted recently using a prototype dam has yielded good quantities of tomatoes. In fact, we were able to sell to the community at a cheaper price.

“Also, it’s just a matter of getting an appropriate turbine; the challenge of unstable power supply in the institution will become a thing of the past.

“The fact is that the economic importance of a dam cannot be quantified. It is so much.”

Olumuyiwa Aikulola, while speaking on the project, said that though the dam is sited on the school’s premises, it will not only serve the school but the totality of the adjoining communities.

Aikulola noted that the advantages of a dam range from helping with all-year-round farming through irrigation, power generation, flood and erosion control, and water supply, leading to a lot of economic activities, employment generation, and wealth creation.

He said, “When a dam of this magnitude is constructed, we will need a lot of labour, technical experts, as well as support teams including lots of artisans to work on the site.

“Once the dam is in place, the irrigation system will not be limited to FPI. The value chain will definitely be encouraging as more people will get employment.”

Sounding a warning on the hazards that are associated with dam sustainability, the water engineer said that the dam should be properly managed to prevent flooding, though assuring that such occurrences are rare.

Also commenting on the project, the Deputy Rector, Administration, Lukman Lasisi, said crop production is just one aspect of the advantages of the dam, adding that fishing is another venture that dam construction encourages.

Lasisi explained, “And when you are talking about the economic importance of a dam, it’s limitless. It’s not something you can even start to calculate in naira and kobo.

“There are a lot of social and environmental benefits from the dam. When you construct a dam, already, you have solved a lot of environmental problems. At least, you have provided a pool for the water to be controlled.

“In fact, there is a possibility of using it for potable water supply to the campus, which will save us from a lot of sinking boreholes which are a danger in waiting. And mind you, treatment of surface water is the best way of supplying crystal clear water. The dam will also give birth to a recreation park for the community and tourists.”