The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) is taking urgent steps to review the Usuma District master plan amid rising fears of contamination to the Usuma Dam—Abuja’s primary water source.
During a recent site inspection, the Department of Development Control uncovered significant unregulated development encroaching on the dam’s buffer zone. The findings sparked immediate concern among planning authorities and environmental experts.
Director of Development Control, Tpl. Mukhtar Galadima, who led the inspection, described the situation as critical.
“The risk is immediate. We may see heavy construction behind the dam within two years. If we wait, we lose,” he warned.
Galadima emphasized the need for planning and water management agencies to urgently define and enforce safety buffer zones around the dam. He stressed that any development in the area must strictly follow environmental and urban planning regulations.
“If development must happen, it must follow enforceable rules,” he said.
Also speaking during the inspection, Engr. Mohammed Danimoh of the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA) highlighted the area’s sloped terrain as a major concern. He explained that surface runoff from unregulated construction could lead to serious water pollution risks.
Danimoh also questioned the viability of proposed sewage systems that rely on water pumping, noting the long-term financial and operational challenges they may pose.
The inspection team also visited Lokogoma, another flood-prone area, where Galadima issued strong warnings to developers rebuilding on previously demolished waterways.
“Those structures will go. We will not allow disasters to be rebuilt,” he said firmly.
The FCTA’s intervention signals a renewed commitment to responsible urban planning and the protection of vital infrastructure and public health in the Federal Capital Territory.
