In it’s bid to solve once and for all the perennial water crisis bedeviling it, the Federal University of Agriculture Abeokuta, FUNAAB, has constructed a seven-billion-litre capacity dam in Mawuko, in Odeda Local Government Area of the state.
This development was disclosed by the Vice Chancellor,VC, of the university, Professor Felix Kolawole Salako, whose five-year tenure would be coming to an end on October 31, 2022, on Tuesday, while conducting select journalists on a facility tour of projects that his administration has executed.
The VC, who used the opportunity of the media facility your, took journalists round some other projects executed by his administraion within his five-year tenure.
These projects include: the Senate Building extension; a 2.6-million-litre water reservoir; palm oil and cashew modern processing plants; Wole Soyinka Digital Library; and President Olusegun Obasanjo Engineering Building, an edifice named after former President Obasanjo, among others.
Other projects nearing completion, and which would be delivered before the expiration of his tenure include: Lifestock Processing Complex – TETFund Sponsored; two 30-room undegaduate sttudents’ hostels; another 46-room undegaduate sttudents’ hostel; two 300-seater auditorium, with office spaces and lecture rooms; COLANIM Phase 2 Building
Prof. Salako told journalists that the construction of the dam began in 2018 to combat the menace of shortage of water within the campus.
Prof Salako said, “The dam project started from the beginning of this administration in 2018 and we were able to complete it up to this stage. The only thing remaining is piping the water to campus. Immediately we get the fund, we will do that.
“The essence of the dam is to provide water for this university. We have been digging boreholes here and there.”
Asked on whether he would welcome collaboration from other tiers of government in Ogun State on the use of the dam, the FUNAAB VC said that the university is not opposed to the idea, but insisted that such partnership or collaboration must must be win-win for the university community.
He said, “Government can come in to partner with us, we wouldn’t mind, but it must be partnership with equity.”
He expressed the delight at the success achieved by his administration with the dam, which would also provide irrigation for agricultural purposes in the university.
