FG Issues Flood Warning as Cameroon Set to Open Lagdo Dam

Kehinde Fajobi

The Federal Government has issued a flood alert in response to water being released from the Lagdo Dam in Cameroon.

According to a notice, the Director General and Chief Executive Officer of the Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency (NIHSA), Umar Muhammed, announced that controlled water discharges from the dam will begin on September 17.

The statement indicates that water release from the Lagdo Dam is expected to gradually increase to 1000m³/s over the next week due to inflows from the upstream Garoua River.

“The Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency informs the public that the Lagdo Dam authorities in Cameroon will commence regulated water releases at a rate of 100m³/s (8,640,000m³/day) starting today, September 17, 2023,” the notice said.

“The discharge is projected to rise to 1000m³/s within the coming seven days, driven by inflows from the Garoua River, which feeds into the reservoir and is a major tributary to the Benue River.”

The statement also noted that the dam operators plan to increase discharges gradually to prevent overwhelming the Benue River system and causing significant flooding downstream in Nigeria. Overflow is expected to stop once inflow into the Lagdo reservoir decreases.