On Tuesday, the Federal Government informed Nigerians about the water discharge from the Lagdo Dam in Cameroon.
The FG announced this in a press release signed by Umar Muhammad, the Director General and Chief Executive Officer of the Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency.
According to the statement, on Tuesday, September 17, 2024, the Lagdo Dam officials in Cameroon will begin regulated water releases.
It stated that depending on the input from the upstream Garoua River, the water discharge is expected to gradually increase to 1000 m³/s over the course of the next seven days.
“The Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency would like to inform the public that, as of today, September 17, 2023, the Lagdo Dam authorities in Cameroon have informed the agency that they will begin controlled water releases at a rate of 100 m³/s (8,640,000 m³/day).”
“Over the course of the following seven days, the water outflow is expected to gradually increase to 1000 m³/s due to the inflow from the upstream Garoua River, which is the reservoir’s principal source and a major tributary of the Benue River.
However, the dam managers have stated that the water releases will be staged in order to prevent exceeding the Benue River system’s carrying capacity and causing significant floods in Nigeria’s downstream areas. Part of the announcement said, “Once there is a noticeable reduction in the flow into the Lagdo reservoir, the overflow from the Lagdo Dam is projected to cease.
“But according to the agency, there’s no need to panic.The organisation categorically declares that there is no cause for concern because significant flooding is not expected downstream in Nigeria as long as the flow levels along the Benue River remain within warning limits.
However, in order to minimise the potential flooding impacts that may result from an increase in the flow levels of our major rivers during this period, it is imperative that all states that border the Benue River system—namely, Adamawa, Taraba, Benue, Nasarawa, Kogi, Edo, Delta, Anambra, Bayelsa, Cross Rivers, and Rivers—as well as the federal, state, and local government units increase their alertness and put in place the necessary preparations.
“To prevent further flood disasters, the agency will persistently provide regular updates on water levels across major rivers and diligently monitor the flow conditions of the transboundary Benue River and the national inland rivers,” the statement continued.
Situated on the Benue River in the Niger basin, the dam is situated in the Northern Province of Cameroon. The lake’s surface area is 586Since the Lagdo Dam is the point of entry for the River Benue, its release of water has long been a source of anxiety for many in Nigeria.
More than a million people in Borno State were impacted by the terrible flood that occurred there last week, which claimed over 30 lives.