By Sarah NEGEDU
The Federal Capital Territory Administration is taking a second look at the master plan for Usuma District following concerns of possible contamination of the Usuma Dam water supply.
This decision follows a joint site visit led by the FCTA Department of Development Control alongside other agencies responsible for physical planning, infrastructure, and environmental management in the territory.
The visit was prompted by fears that unchecked development activities around the dam could jeopardize one of the city’s most critical water sources.
Director of the Department of Development Control, Tpl. Mukhtar Galadima, who led the team on the inspection stressed the gravity of the situation, and called for a collective review of the existing layout to avert long-term consequences.
The Director explained that, “There were concerns raised by different stakeholders as regards to the development along the proximity of Usman Dam. That’s why the Department of Development Control thought it fit to invite relevant stakeholders to visit the site and see on the spot what is really happening.”
He warned that development pressure on the area is imminent, stressing, “You are thinking maybe it’s 50 years. No, by the next two years, we’ll see development behind the dam. So we have to put measures in place to safeguard and protect this particular feature.”
Galadima therefore urged the agencies to assess the layout’s continued relevance and agree on sustainable measures. “Is the layout relevant? Is the layout adequate? If we feel there is a threat to the existence of this water body, we can write, so that posterity will judge us that we acted at a point in time. If we feel we can develop this district, but with certain measures, let all of us come up with those measures to guide its development.”
To guide future approvals, he called for contributions from relevant departments. “Urban and Regional Planning, URP, should give us an up-to-date layout of the district. Water Board should also, in collaboration with URP, come up with a reasonable distance away from the dam. Water Board should give us their policy on dams and water bodies in the FCT, so we can use it in guiding or granting approvals.”
On the status of Usuma District, he affirmed that it is open for development, but only within the framework of the approved master plan adding that the administration may initiate a full layout review if necessary.
Also, the Assistant Director of Engineering Services at the FCDA, Engr. Mohammed Danimoh, provided technical insight into the longstanding concerns over the area’s topography and sustainability.
Danimoh noted that the entire terrain slopes toward the Usuma Dam, creating major risks for both surface runoff and wastewater management. “We can see that everythiny, the slope, the grid, everything is sloping downwards towards the dam.
“What the master plan policy says is: avoid sewage pumping at all costs. Every sewage is supposed to be drained via gravity. But here, any development will require pumping, and that raises serious sustainability concerns.”
While engineering solutions exist, he questioned their viability. “Yes, engineering-wise, there is no problem without a solution. But at what cost? We could develop a sewage treatment plant. But can we sustain it? Going by even the history of the ones we have developed within the city proper. those ones are temporal.”
The inspection also extended to the flood-prone area in Lokogoma, where the director, Department of Development Control described the visit as a proactive move ahead of the rainy season.
“This is an area that everybody in Abuja knows about when it comes to flooding. That’s why we invited all relevant stakeholders. In Development Control, we intend to use our equipment to expand the channels so that water can have an easy flow.”
He warned illegal developers, particularly those rebuilding previously demolished structures. “We have marked them to stop any further encroachment, and we are going to remove those encroachments. So this is enough notice. They should stop building on waterways.”
