The operators of the Lagdo Dam in the Republic of Cameroon have opened the dam to allow excess water to flow.
With the recent rainfall in Nigeria, combined with the dam’s opening, over 100,000 Nigerians have been displaced, at least 300 have been killed, and over 500,000 have been affected in the last few months.
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Data released on Monday in Abuja by the National Emergency Management Agency and the Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency at an emergency technical meeting on the country’s flood situation revealed this.
“Based on our communication with NIHSA, the Lagdo Dam operators in the Republic of Cameroon, had commenced the release of excess water from the reservoir on September 13, 2022,” the Director-General, NEMA, Mustapha Ahmed, stated while speaking at the meeting.
He added, “We are aware that the released water cascades down into Nigeria, through River Benue and its tributaries, thereby overwhelming communities that have already been impacted by heavy rainfall.
“The released water complicates the situation further downstream, as Nigeria’s inland reservoirs including Kainji, Jebba and Shiroro, are also expected to overflow between now and October ending.
“According to NIHSA, Kainji and Jebba dams have already started spilling exess water from their reservoirs. This will have serious consequences on frontline states and communities along the courses of rivers Niger and Benue.”
Ahmed outlined the states that are most likely to be affected as; Adamawa, Taraba, Benue, Niger, Nasarawa, Kebbi and Kogi states.
He also said that some Niger-Delta states including Edo, Delta, Anambra, Cross-River, Rivers and Bayelsa, were expected to record heavy floods due to the above normal rains, coupled with the combined waters of rivers Niger and Benue, as they empty into the region.