Cameroon says it is releasing excess water from its Lagdo dam from 17 September, 2024. It will last seven days.
This is a flood alert for the Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency as the released water flows into River Benue and joins River Niger, right down to the Atlantic Ocean.
All the communities on the direct path of the river will be inundated.
The Lagdo dam was filled by water from the Garoua River feeding it and rain water.
Officials say the dam water is being released at the rate of 100 cubic metres per second, that is, 8,640,000 cubic metres per day.
The Director-General of the Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency, Umar Muhammed, says this is a controlled release of water from the dam and advised people not to worry or panic.
But even at this rate, River Benue will overflow with water.
In 2023, when excess water was released from the dam, the ensuing flood caused 300 deaths in Nigeria, displaced 34 thousand people and damaged property worth nine billion naira, according to the National Bureau of Statistics.
Eleven states on the path of River Benue have been placed on alert – Adamawa, Taraba, Benue, Nasarawa, Kogi, Edo, Delta, Anambra, Bayelsa, Cross River and Rivers State.
The most vulnerable communities have started relocating to higher grounds.
photo credit: guardian
