Niger Dams Project

Niger Dams Project, series of three dams and reservoirs built in the second half of the 20th century in Kwara, Niger, and Kebbi states, northwestern Nigeria, on the Niger and Kaduna rivers. The first of the dams was built at Kainji in 1969. Its reservoir, Kainji Lake, supports irrigation and fishing projects in the states in which it lies. On its western shore, Lake Kainji National Park, including the Borgu and Zugurma game reserves, has promoted the tourism industry. The dam and hydroelectric power plant at Jebba, 64 miles (103 km) from the Kainji Dam, were completed in 1984, and the dam at Shiroro Gorge on the Kaduna River, west of Bida in Niger state, began operations in 1990.

Heavy flooding in September 1999 forced the operators of Kainji, Jebba, and Shiroro to open the dams to protect the structures and prevent them from overflowing. The massive quantities of additional water exacerbated the disastrous flooding, forcing local inhabitants from their homes and submerging neighbouring villages and cropland. In 2007 funding was approved for the rehabilitation of the Kainji and Jebba installations.