11 Nigerian states have been placed on high alert for potential flooding following a warning from the Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency (NIHSA). The alert comes after Cameroon announced plans to release excess water from one of its significant dams due to heavy rainfall in West and Central Africa. This release is expected to impact Nigeria, prompting flooding concerns in the affected regions.
The warning comes as the country struggles to contain severe flooding and casualties in northeastern Borno State, where the Alau dam recently burst its banks following intense rainfall. The devastating floods have also affected neighbouring countries, including Cameroon, Chad, Mali, and Niger, all part of the Sahel region, which typically experiences low rainfall.
Cameroon’s Lagdo dam, located on the Benue River, started releasing water on Tuesday, September 17, 2024, at a rate of 100 cubic metres per second, which will gradually increase to 1,000m³/s until September 24, 2024. This controlled release aims to prevent the Benue River system from overflowing and minimise flooding downstream in Nigeria.
The NIHSA has assured the country that the water discharge will be gradual to avoid exceeding the river’s conveyance capacity. The 11 states likely to be impacted by the water release are Adamawa, Taraba, Benue, Nasarawa, Kogi, Edo, Delta, Anambra, Bayelsa, Cross River, and Rivers.
While the NIHSA has advised the public not to panic, they have informed these states to remain vigilant, urging federal and state authorities in Nigeria “to step up vigilance and deploy adequate preparedness measures to reduce possible impact of flooding that may occur as a result of an increase in flow levels of our major rivers at this period.”
The agency will continue monitoring water levels in the Benue and national inland rivers, providing regular updates to prevent flood disasters.
Casualties from Lagdo dam flooding
The Lagdo dam, now an annual nightmare for Nigerians, was built between August 1977 and July 1982 by a combination of engineers, Chinese workers, and Cameroonian labourers.
In 2011, when the Lagdo Dam was opened after several notifications from Cameroon, no fewer than 100 deaths were recorded, and over 200,000 people were heavily affected by the massive flood.
In 2022, Nigeria lost more than 600 people and farmlands to the worst flooding in a decade following heavy rain and after Cameroon released water from Lagdo dam.
This is a developing story
