Opinion: Beyond power generation, academics, agriculture, tourism, and conservation have emerged as the clear bullseyes of the Ikere Gorge Dam revitalisation ||- Banji A Banji

Opinion: Beyond power generation, academics, agriculture, tourism, and conservation have emerged as the clear bullseyes of the Ikere Gorge Dam revitalisation ||- Banji A Banji

By

Banji A. Banji

A 4,700 hectares water surface Gorge Dam in ikere has always been a natural blessing to its host communities. 

However, years of weak leadership, policy inconsistency, political distractions, systemic neglect, and the absence of a clear public utility maintenance limited the dam from reaching its full potential. That narrative is now changing under the Renewed Hope agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, driven by the resolve of the Ministry of Power under the leadership of the Honourable Minister, Adebayo Adelabu This renewed intervention represents a decisive step toward unlocking multiple economic opportunities through a single strategic infrastructure in collaboration with ministry of water resources.

The renewed focus is expected to stimulate broad based economic and social activities across host communities, particularly for business oriented youths and investors within and beyond Oyo State. 

Central to this vision is the development of practical academic collaboration between dam operations, agricultural research institutes, and tertiary institutions. These include Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH), Iseyin; the Federal University of Agriculture and Technology, Okeho (FUNATO); SAF Polytechnic, Iseyin; and Saki Polytechnic There is growing optimism that, in the near future, academic programmes directly linked to the dam’s natural resources, ecosystem management, engineering and aquaculture will receive formal accreditation, thereby expanding research, innovation and skills development in the region.

Equally critical is the revival of the irrigation scheme under the Ogun–Osun River Basin Development Authority, the official manager of the dam. Originally designed to irrigate about 12,000 hectares of farmland, the scheme was meant to support farmers in host communities, boost agricultural production, and enable year-round farming.

 In my opinion, achieving these objectives requires a complete overhaul of the irrigation pump house, tube lines, and siphon systems within the water belt. Once fully revitalised, the large-scale irrigation infrastructure is designed to support agricultural production in Ikere, Iseyin, and other communities within the riparian zone.

With stable electricity supply and the completion of the 23-kilometre access road from Isanlu in Iseyin to the Ikere Gorge Dam, aquaculture is also poised for major expansion. Commercial activities have existed at the dam for over a decade, with floating cage fish farming beginning around 2011. In 2016, the Tilapia Aquaculture Developers Association of Nigeria (TADAN) recorded a landmark harvest that attracted dignitaries nationwide. 

The dam’s stable water body offers strong prospects for large-scale aquaculture and inland fisheries, capable of creating jobs, strengthening cooperatives, boosting protein availability, attracting cold-room operators and supporting export-oriented fish production. These developments are expected to diversify the economy, enhance nutrition, and deepen food security.

Tourism is another strategic pillar of the revitalisation agenda. Proposed initiatives include annual mountain-climbing events, regulated hunting games, and camping activities within the old Oyo National Park, positioning the Ikere Gorge corridor as an eco-tourism destination

However, I make a passionate call to host communities to protect the land corridor from Iseyin to the Ikere Gorge Dam from unchecked estate development. The rapid conversion of fertile agrarian lands along the ijaye to Iseyin axis into housing estates already threatens agricultural productivity. 

Extending this trend towards the Isanlu/Ikere axis could pose long-term risks to food security and undermine the very gains the dam revitalisation seeks to achieve for local communities, many of whom depend on small-scale agricultural activities to sustain the regional food market. These micro-economic contributions remain a key index of communal growth and resilience.

It is also important to commend the resilience of the host communities, who have held faith with the Ikere Gorge Dam for over 47 years despite prolonged neglect and unrealised promises. Their patience and sense of ownership kept the asset alive through decades of uncertainty. 

In the same vein, I acknowledge President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the Honorable Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, for the strategic decision to concession the dam to Oke-Ogun indigenous interests. 

This move not only restores local confidence and trust but also ensures that those with cultural, economic, and generational ties to the asset are directly invested in its long-term sustainability and success.

Banji A Banji is Chief Executive Officer, Da'EagleGrip Consult; expert in Agriculture Business Value Chain and Business Development.