ABUJA — The Nigeria Hydrological Service Agency, NISHA , Tuesday alerted Nigerians as Lagdo Dam in Cameroon begins release of water .
The Alert was given by the Director General, DG, NISHA, Umar Muhammad, in a statement signed by himself.
Nigeria is bracing itself for potential flooding due to the controlled water release from Cameroon’s Lagdo Dam, which started on September 17, 2024, at a rate of 100m³/s (8,640,000m³/day) .While Mohammed assures that major flooding is unlikely, certain states should still take precautions to mitigate the impact. These states include:Adamawa, Taraba, Benue, Kogi, Nasarawa, Anambra, Bayelsa, Delta, Edo, Cross River and Rivers.
The Nigerian government has alerted these states and relevant agencies to take proactive measures . In fact, the Minister of Water Resources and Sanitation has advised flood-prone states to embark on comprehensive sensitization campaigns, ensure unobstructed drainage systems, and relocate residents living along riverbanks to safer areas [1).
Historically, the release of water from the Lagdo Dam has caused significant flooding in Nigeria, particularly in 2012 and 2022 . The 2022 flood disaster resulted in 3,174 fatalities, 662 reported deaths, and the displacement of approximately 2.4 million individuals . To avoid a repeat, the government is working closely with the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and the Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency (NIHSA) to monitor the situation .
Nigeria is bracing itself for potential flooding due to the controlled water release from Cameroon’s Lagdo Dam, which started on September 17, 2024, at a rate of 100m³/s and is expected to increase gradually to 1000m³/s in the next seven days. The dam managers aim to release water gradually to avoid exceeding the conveyance capacity of the Benue River system and causing major flooding downstream in Nigeria.
The spilling of waters from Lagdo Dam is expected to stop as soon as noticeable decrease in flow from the Lagdo reservoir.
“The Agency wishes to State that there is no cause for alarm as major flooding is not expected downstream Nigeria as the flow levels along the River Benue are still within the warning levels.
“Notwithstanding, it is highly imperative for all states that are contiguous to the river Benue system, namely; Adamawa, Taraba, Benue, Kogi, Edo, Delta, Anambra, Bayelsa, Cross River, and Rivers; the government at all levels (Federal, State, and Local Government Areas) step up vigilance and deploy adequate preparedness measures to reduce possible flood impacts that may occur as a result of increase in flow levels of our major rivers at this period
Meanwhile, NIHSA boss concluded by saying, “The Agency will continue to monitor closely the flow situation of the trans-boundary River Benue and the national inland rivers and steadily provide regular updates on water levels across major rivers to forestall further flood disasters.”
