Author(s)

T. D. T. Oyedotun

Abstract

The principal aim of the paper is to examine the nature of socio-economic impacts of the Asejire Dam (Ibadan, Nigeria) on the host communities. There are a range of difficulties experienced by the host, but principally rural communities of the dam area. Farming, which is the major economy of the study area suffered a great deal from the dam in terms of reduction in total land areas cultivated, farm sizes, types of crops grown and the distance of the farm to the settlement. Fishing at Olukeye-Asejire, which was previously the fishing centre, has been abandoned, thus the fishermen are forced to move upstream daily to fish, thereby losing some hours that could have been used for fishing in travelling upstream and back to their homes. The positive impacts of the dam on the communities, however, include increase in the volume of fish caught when compared with before the dam fishing outcome, and provision of employment at the dam site. The long-term social impacts of the dam emphasized by the study revealed the permanent relocation of three settlements: Papa, Asala and Onikeke. The paper concluded by recommending commercialisation of agriculture in the study area, construction of better roads to join the settlements which will aid easy and speedy evacuation of agricultural products, and the developments of Asejire dam as a tourist centre among other recommendations. Keywords: Asejire Dam, River Osun, socio-economic impacts, host communities.

Keywords

Asejire Dam, River Osun, socio-economic impacts, host communities