COMPENDIUM AND DIGITAL MAP OF DAMS AND IRRIGATION SCHEMES IN NIGERIA
Act · Water
A Policy provides a national inventory and digital map of dams and irrigation schemes in Nigeria for water resource planning. It targets federal water authorities, agricultural investors, and planners. This improves dam safety and irrigation development across the country.
COMPENDIUM AND DIGITAL MAP OF DAMS AND IRRIGATION SCHEMES IN NIGERIA
What Is This Policy?
A comprehensive national inventory and digital geographic mapping of all dams, reservoirs, and irrigation schemes in Nigeria, providing authoritative data for water resource planning, dam safety, and agricultural development.
Who Does It Target?
Federal Ministry of Water Resources planners River Basin Development Authorities Agricultural sector investors in irrigation International donors funding water infrastructure
What Does It Aim to Achieve?
Create a single authoritative national database of Nigeria's dam and irrigation infrastructure to improve water resource management, dam safety oversight, and irrigation development planning.
Key Features
National Inventory: Comprehensive listing of all dams, reservoirs, and irrigation schemes with technical specifications. Digital Mapping: GIS-based digital maps showing spatial distribution and catchment areas. Dam Safety Data: Includes dam safety classification and maintenance status information. Irrigation Coverage: Documents irrigation scheme coverage, beneficiary farmers, and water utilisation.
Current Status
Rollout Stage: Active — periodic updates to the compendium Coverage: Nationwide water infrastructure Beneficiaries: Water resource planners; agricultural sector; dam safety management Funding: Federal Ministry of Water Resources; international partners
How to Access
Access through Federal Ministry of Water Resources River Basin Development Authorities maintain local data Data available to researchers and planners on application Application method: Engage the Federal Ministry of Water Resources at https://www.waterresources.gov.ng
Important Terms
Dam safety inspections must be conducted using the compendium as a reference New dam and irrigation scheme data must be reported to the Ministry for compendium update Digital maps use GIS coordinates compatible with standard mapping systems
Official Resources
Website: https://www.waterresources.gov.ng Contact: Federal Ministry of Water Resources
Legal Framework
Issued under the authority of the Federal Ministry of Water Resources pursuant to the Water Resources Act (Cap W2 LFN 2004) and the Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency (NIHSA) Act. Supports national water resources planning under the National Water Policy. Aligns with the International Commission on Large Dams (ICOLD) guidelines on dam safety data management and the UN Convention on the Law of Non-Navigational Uses of International Watercourses.