LAGOS, Sept. 18, 2024 (Reuters) – Nigeria’s Hydrological Services Agency (NIHSA) has issued a warning of possible flooding in 11 states after Cameroon announced the release of water from its Lagdo Dam, following heavy rainfall across West and Central Africa.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!The warning comes as Nigeria is already dealing with severe flooding in Borno State, where a dam burst its walls due to intense rain. The region has been hit hard by floods, including Cameroon, Chad, Mali, and Niger, all part of the Sahel, which typically experiences minimal rainfall.
Cameroonian authorities informed NIHSA on Tuesday of the controlled water release from Lagdo Dam. The Benue River, which flows downstream into Nigeria, could see increased water levels, putting states like Benue, Nasarawa, Kogi, Bayelsa, Delta, and Rivers at risk of flooding.
NIHSA has urged both federal and state governments to enhance preparedness measures to mitigate the potential impacts of rising river levels. This follows Nigeria’s devastating 2022 floods, which claimed over 600 lives after a similar release from the Cameroonian dam, a disaster worsened by Nigeria’s incomplete backup dam project.
Flooding remains a major concern in Africa’s most populous country, exacerbated by poor infrastructure and planning.
