On Tuesday, the Federal Government of Nigeria issued an alert concerning an impending controlled release of water from the Lagdo Dam in Cameroon. This announcement was made in a statement signed by the Director General and CEO of the Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency (NIHSA), Umar Muhammed.
According to the statement, authorities at the Lagdo Dam will begin releasing water starting Tuesday, September 17, 2024. The initial release will be at a rate of 100 cubic meters per second (m³/s), with plans to gradually increase the discharge to 1,000 m³/s over the next seven days, depending on inflows from the upstream Garoua River.
“The Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency wishes to notify the general public that the authorities of the Lagdo Dam in Cameroon have communicated their decision to start controlled water releases at a rate of 100 m³/s (8,640,000 m³/day) from today, September 17, 2024,” the statement read. “This will progressively increase to 1,000 m³/s over the next week, based on the inflow from the Garoua River, a primary source feeding the Lagdo reservoir and a key tributary to the Benue River.”
The agency assured the public that the water release would be managed to avoid overwhelming the Benue River system and triggering major floods downstream in Nigeria. The release will cease once inflow into the Lagdo reservoir decreases significantly.
While NIHSA emphasized that there is no immediate cause for alarm, it urged communities along the Benue River to remain cautious.
“At present, we do not anticipate severe flooding downstream as water levels along the Benue River are still within manageable limits. However, it is crucial for the states bordering the Benue River—Adamawa, Taraba, Benue, Nasarawa, Kogi, Edo, Delta, Anambra, Bayelsa, Cross River, and Rivers—to heighten their vigilance. Federal, state, and local governments must implement appropriate preparedness measures to mitigate potential flood impacts due to increasing water levels.”
The agency also committed to closely monitoring water levels in the Benue and other national rivers, providing regular updates to prevent flood disasters.
The Lagdo Dam, located in northern Cameroon along the Benue River in the Niger Basin, has long been a point of concern for Nigeria due to the risk of downstream flooding in several states.
Last week, severe flooding in Borno State claimed over 30 lives and displaced more than a million residents, highlighting the need for heightened preparedness during such releases.
