Communities in Zing LGA left without water relief as dam projects remain abandoned
Two long-promised dam projects in Zing Local Government Area of Taraba State—the Monkin Earth Dam and the Sabon Pegi Small Earth Dam—have consumed over ₦209 million in federal allocations, yet there is no visible sign of work at either site, years after funding began.
A recent field investigation by a civic technology platform that tracks public projects revealed that the sites remain completely untouched. Despite being recurring items in Nigeria’s national budget for over three years—including a fresh allocation of ₦89 million in the 2024 budget—no construction equipment, personnel, or preparatory work could be found.
Records from the Federal Government’s Open Treasury portal show that the Federal Ministry of Water Resources has made several payments for the Monkin Earth Dam project since 2019:
- ₦49.7 million to Crestline Services Ltd. on December 30, 2019
- ₦34.8 million to the same contractor on June 9, 2020
- ₦42.1 million more on June 30, 2023
- An additional ₦7.6 million was paid to Tech-Consultants International Associates Ltd. for consultancy services in February 2023
These payments total ₦134.2 million for the Monkin Earth Dam project alone.
Despite the considerable funds disbursed, neither dam site shows any sign of development, and local residents remain without access to clean water, which the projects were meant to provide. The Monkin Earth Dam, in particular, was designed to support irrigation, livestock rearing, and domestic water supply in a region frequently affected by water scarcity.
Local residents and civil society groups are calling for transparency and accountability over the stalled projects, citing them as glaring examples of infrastructure neglect and possible mismanagement of public funds.
With no action on the ground and a growing sense of betrayal among the affected communities, pressure is mounting on the Federal Ministry of Water Resources and relevant anti-corruption bodies to investigate the missing projects and hold those responsible accountable.
