Bakolori Dam

Bakolori Dam was established in , Built by in .

About Bakolori Dam

The Bakolori dam is a massive structure built on the Sokoto River, a tributary of the Rima River. Bakolori dam has a capacity of 450 million cubic metres (equal to 180,000 Olympic size swimming pools) with a reservoir (the portion where water is stored behind the dam) that covers 8,000 hectares, and extends 19 km upstream. The Bakolori dam is 5km long; it is one of the longest dams in the world. The dam was built to provide year-round irrigation in the Sokoto-Rima basin: the Bakolori Irrigation Project.

History of Bakolori Dam

Construction of the Bakolori dam started in 1974 and finished in 1978. Its reservoir filled in 1981 – it took almost as much time for the reservoir to fill as it took to construct the dam. The irrigation pipes and canals were completed in 1983 and they covered 23,000 hectares, as opposed to 30,000 hectares which was the original plan. The Balokori Irrigation Project is one of the most expensive per hectare in the world. However, it’s regarded as an economic disaster. The construction of the dam led to the displacement of farmers, loss of lives, and the destruction of valuable farmland. The irrigation also caused the soil to become infertile. Despite these, the dam attracts many tourists yearly because of its remarkable construction.

Safety

Bakolori dam is, by and large, a safe place for tourists. But if you see any danger signs, please exercise caution in those areas and stay safe.

Best Features

The ambience of the environment.

Best Time to Visit

The best time to visit Bakolori dam is between 7am and 7pm.

Most Common Visitors

The most common visitors are researchers.