The Commissioner of Culture and Tourism, Mr. Aloysius Babadoke, disclosed this information during an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday in Yola.
According to his statement, the project is a component of the government's endeavors to enhance the tourism industry.
This will additionally create a new chance for the state to generate cash and attract investors who are interested in the abundant potential of tourist spots in the dam.
The government intends to further exploit and leverage the tourist opportunities inside the state in order to promote socio-economic advancement.
Adamawa state possesses a range of notable tourism sites, including the Modibbo Adama Palace Museum located in Yola South and the Sukur World Cultural Heritage Site situated in Madagali.
Other notable attractions in Adamawa State include the Three Sisters Rock located in Song Local Government Area (LGA), the Sassa Waterfall and Gumti National Park situated in Toungo LGA, the Elephant House in Guyuk, and the confluence of River Gongola and Benue, among other others.
The commissioner observed that in addition to the annual festivals organized across the 21 local government areas (LGAs) of the state, which primarily draw tourists from various regions of the globe.
According to a report by NAN, the dam, with a capacity of 615 million m³, was constructed with the primary objective of facilitating irrigation for the Savannah Sugar Company (SSC). The SSC is a significant enterprise engaged in the cultivation and processing of sugar cane, established as a collaborative effort between the Nigerian Federal Government and the Commonwealth Development Corporation (CDC) based in London.
The management of the project was overseen by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), while the construction contract was granted to NECCO, a government-owned business.
In 2002, Dangote Industries bought the Savannah Sugar Company.
In the year 2009, the corporation possessed a total of 32,000 hectares of property in close proximity to the dam. Out of this area, around 6,330 hectares were actively utilized, providing employment opportunities for over 5,000 individuals.
The company's yearly sugar production amounted to approximately 50,000 tonnes, catering to the Nigerian market's annual consumption of 1.1 million tonnes.
The company's canals were utilized for cultivating over 1,000 hectares of irrigated rice and other crops.