By Adadareporters
States and relevant agencies have been alerted to imminent opening of the floodgate of the Lagdo Dam by Cameroonian authorities.
Our correspondent gathered that the Cameroonian authorities said they would open the dam ‘in days ahead, due to heavy rainfall around the dam catchment area in the Northern part of the country’.
A release dated August 21, 2023, which was 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), advised NEMA to take “necessary proactive actions to mitigate the damage, as well as sensitise the populace living in such areas for vigilance and all necessary precautions’.
According to the release, “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.”
It was gathered that 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 statement 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.
