Flooding: FG alerts Kogi, Benue, others as Cameroon opens

Flooding: FG alerts Kogi, Benue, others as Cameroon opens Lagdo Dam

The Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency (NIHSA) has called on states situated along the Benue River to heighten their vigilance in light of plans by the management of the Lagdo Dam in Cameroon to release water from the reservoir.

In a statement issued on Tuesday, NIHSA’s Director-General and Chief Executive Officer, Umar Ibrahim Mohamed, alerted that states likely to be affected by the water release include Adamawa, Taraba, Benue, Nasarawa, Kogi, Edo, Delta, Anambra, Bayelsa, Cross River, and Rivers.

NIHSA also urged governments at all levels to implement preventive measures to mitigate potential flooding as a result of rising water levels during the discharge period.

“The Cameroonian dam authorities assured NIHSA that the water releases will be regulated to avoid exceeding the capacity of the Benue River and triggering major flooding downstream in Nigeria,” the statement read.

The release of water is set to begin at a rate of 100 cubic metres per second (approximately 8.64 million cubic metres per day) and is expected to gradually increase to 1,000 cubic metres per second over the next week, depending on inflows from the Garoua River, the primary tributary of the Benue River.

NIHSA emphasised that while the water release is controlled, there is no immediate cause for alarm. “The controlled water releases will cease once there is a noticeable decrease in inflow into the Lagdo reservoir,” the agency noted. Current water levels along the Benue River remain within safe limits, and significant flooding downstream in Nigeria is not expected.

The agency reassured the public that it is closely monitoring water levels along the Benue River and other inland rivers nationwide, pledging to provide regular updates to prevent any flood-related disasters.