By Yusuf Saliyu Sansani
ZING, TARABA STATE – May 16, 2025
Years after receiving over ₦209 million in federal allocations, two dam projects in Zing Local Government Area of Taraba State remain abandoned, leaving residents without access to potable water and critical irrigation infrastructure.
The Monkin Earth Dam and Sabon Pegi Small Earth Dam, both listed in Nigeria’s national budget since 2019, have seen no visible development.
A field investigation by Tracka, a civic technology platform that monitors public projects, found both sites completely untouched, despite repeated funding.
Official payment records from the Federal Government’s Open Treasury portal reveal that ₦134.2 million has been disbursed for the Monkin Earth Dam alone. Payments include:
₦49.7 million to Crestline Services Ltd. on December 30, 2019
₦34.8 million to the same firm on June 9, 2020
₦42.1 million on June 30, 2023
₦7.6 million to Tech-Consultants International Associates Ltd. for consultancy in February 2023
Additionally, a fresh allocation of ₦89 million was approved in the 2024 budget, yet there is still no presence of contractors, construction machinery, or preliminary work at either location.
Designed to provide irrigation, livestock support, and domestic water supply, the Monkin Earth Dam was expected to significantly improve livelihoods in a region frequently affected by water scarcity. However, residents say they are yet to feel any impact from the project.
“We have waited for years. There is no dam, no water, and no explanation,” said Ibrahim Umar, a resident of Monkin community. “Our children still fetch water from distant, unsafe sources. It feels like we’ve been forgotten.”
Civil society groups have raised concerns about possible misappropriation of public funds and are calling on anti-corruption agencies, including the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), to investigate the status of the contracts and hold responsible parties accountable.
“This is a glaring case of budgetary abuse and infrastructure neglect,” said a Tracka representative. “The Ministry of Water Resources must explain how over ₦200 million was spent without a single block laid.”
Repeated efforts by The NEWSPOINTER to reach officials at the Federal Ministry of Water Resources for comment were unsuccessful as of press time.
As frustration grows, affected communities say they are tired of empty promises and demand urgent government intervention to revive the stalled projects and ensure access to clean water—one of their most basic needs.
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