Bakolori Dam | |
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Location | Nigeria |
Coordinates | 12°30′43″N 6°11′0″E / 12.51194°N 6.18333°E |
Construction began | 1974 |
Opening date | 1978 |
Dam and spillways | |
Type of dam | Earth-fill embankment |
Impounds | Sokoto River |
Height | 48m |
Length | 360m |
Reservoir | |
Total capacity | 450,000,000 cu.m |
Power Station | |
Installed capacity | 11 MW |
The Bakolori Dam is in Sokoto State in northwest Nigeria. It was completed in 1978 and its reservoir filled by 1981. It is a major reservoir on the Sokoto River, a tributary of the Rima River, which in turn feeds the Niger River. Water from the dam supplies the Bakolori Irrigation Project.[1]
The dam has a capacity of 450 million cubic meters, with a reservoir covering 8,000 hectares extending 19 km (12 mi) upstream.[2]
Dam construction displaced many peasant farmers without providing alternative land or financial compensation. Many people died in protests over their loss of livelihood.[3] The project has become known as a classic example of development failure.[4]