By Chijioke Kingsley
Abuja (Sundiata Post) – The federal government has alerted states and relevant government agencies, over plans by the Cameroonian government, to open the flood gate of Lagdo Dam, on the Benue River.
The Cameroonian authorities said they will open the dam “in days ahead, due to heavy rainfall around the dam catchment area in the Northern part of the country.
A letter dated August 21, 2023, and signed on behalf of the Permanent Secretary of the Foreign Affairs ministry by Umar Salisu, Director, African Affairs, addressed to the Director General of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), urged agency to take “necessary proactive steps and actions that will mitigate the damage, as well as sensitise the populace living in such areas for vigilance and all necessary precautions.”
The letter noted that “it is pertinent to note that when the release of water becomes necessary, the authorities of lagdo dam will be releasing on modulated variable mall amount of water at a time, in order to mitigate and avoid damages that the released water may cause along the River Benue basin to both Cameroon and in Nigeria.”
The Lagdo dam was built between August 1977 and July 1982, by a combination of engineers and Chinese workers, along with Cameroonian labourers. The company that managed the construction was the China International Water & Electric Corp. International power company AES Corporation runs the hydroelectric dam.
The effect of the release of water from this dam is largely felt on surrounding regions in about 13 states in Nigeria including Kogi, Benue, Adamawa, Bauchi, Borno, Gombe, Taraba, Yobe, Niger, Nasarawa, Kebbi, Kogi, Edo, Delta, Anambra, Cross River, Rivers, and Bayelsa States.
The government, through the Ministry of Water Resources and Sanitation, during the week, advised the flood-prone states to embark on aggressive comprehensive sensitisation campaigns, to ensure unobstructed drainage systems and strategic relocation of residents living along the riverbanks to safer ground.
Minister of Water Resources and Sanitation, Joseph Utsev and the Minister of State, Bello Goronyo, in a statement, asked all tiers of government to escalate measures up to the grassroots levels to ensure seamless preparations.
The statement also expressed the resolve of the federal government “to foster collaboration, innovation, and positive transformative changes within the ministry.”
It highlighted concerns about the potential for flooding in Nigeria from July to October, revealing significant hydrological findings, accentuating a conspicuous increase in the flow volume along the River Benue system.
