The Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency(NHSA) has notified Nigerians of the upcoming release of water from Cameroon’s Lagdo dam.
Umar Muhammed, the agency’s Director General / Chief Executive Officer, announced this in a statement on Tuesday, September 17, 2024.
He said Cameroon will begin the water discharge from September 17, 2024, adding that the water will increase progressively to 1000m³/s over the next seven days.
The statement reads in part, “The Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency wishes to notify the general public that the authorities of the Lagdo Dam in Cameroon have communicated to the agency that they will initiate controlled water releases at a rate of 100m³/s (8,640,000m³/day) starting today, September 17, 2024.
“The water discharge is anticipated to progressively escalate to 1000m³/s over the next seven days based on the inflow from the upstream Garoua River, which serves as the primary source into the reservoir and a significant tributary to the Benue River.
“Nonetheless, the dam operators have indicated that the planned water discharges will be gradual to avoid surpassing the conveyance capacity of the Benue River system and triggering substantial flooding downstream in Nigeria. The overflow from the Lagdo Dam is projected to cease once there is a noticeable reduction in the flow into the Lagdo reservoir.”
Nigeria has experienced extreme flooding in the past due to the release of water from the dam, but the agency has assured Nigerians that there is no need to worry.
“The agency unequivocally states that there is no need for alarm as major flooding downstream in Nigeria is not anticipated since the flow levels along the Benue River are still within cautionary limits,” the agency said.
To tackle floods, the agency promised to monitor the flow conditions of the Benue River and the national inland rivers and provide updates on water levels nationwide.