NIHSA confirms closure of Lagdo Dam, cautions on possible floods

The Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency (NIHSA) has officially verified the decision made by Cameroonian authorities to halt the release of excess water from the Lagdo Dam. Speaking at a press conference in Abuja, NIHSA Director General, Mr. Clement Nze, emphasized that there is no need for alarm or concern regarding potential flooding within the country. Nze acknowledged that instances of flooding in key urban centers and coastal regions are primarily attributed to escalated rainfall and flash floods, a consequence of climate change. He emphasized that serious flooding and its associated destruction and loss of life could be mitigated by the proactive preparedness of relevant authorities, including preventing construction on flood-prone areas. Each year, neighbouring Cameroon discharges water from the Lagdo Dam in northern Cameroon, flowing downstream into Nigeria, a practice that has led to flooding issues in the country. It’s worth noting that during the dam’s construction in the 1980s, both nations agreed to erect a twin dam on the Nigerian side to manage overflow; however, this second dam was never realized. Nze clarified that releasing excess water from the Lagdo Dam constitutes a standard reservoir operation aimed at averting potential dam failure. He highlighted that water releases are critical to maintaining dam stability and reducing flooding risks for nearby communities. Elaborating on the specifics, he shared, “The Lagdo Dam is situated along the Benue River within the Niger Basin. The Cameroonian authorities initiated the release of excess water from the Lagdo Dam on August 14, 2023, starting at 10:10 AM. The initial water release rate was 200 cubic meters per second, amounting to approximately 18 million cubic meters of water daily. “As of August 25, 2023, water releases from the reservoir were decreased to 50 cubic meters per second, a standard reservoir operation that poses negligible flood risk downstream. Moreover, on August 28, 2023, at 5:16 PM, the Hydrologist in charge of the Dam informed NIHSA’s Director General that they ceased water spilling by 11:00 AM the same day.” Nze assured that NIHSA will maintain continuous monitoring of water levels in rivers Niger and Benue, with readings currently indicating no impending flood threats. He emphasized that NIHSA is tasked with delivering data for sustainable management of Nigeria’s substantial surface and subterranean water resources through collaboration with key stakeholders. The Director General urged states to support the Federal Government’s initiatives by raising awareness about flood disaster prevention among their populace. He stressed that flood prevention is a collective effort and that the government cannot achieve this goal single-handedly. He further urged states to prioritize thorough drainage system upkeep, construction, and enforcement of building codes to forestall calamities. Nze provided updates on the Dasin Hausa Dam in Adamawa state, designed to serve as a buffer against floods during excessive water release from the Lagdo Dam. He disclosed that the project’s study and design phases are complete, and the Federal Ministry of Water Resources and Sanitation is coordinating with consultants to proceed with procurement. Regarding the dredging of rivers Niger and Benue to curtail severe flooding, Nze acknowledged the substantial cost and the requirement for desilting. If executed effectively, this endeavor has the potential to replenish groundwater across numerous areas. It’s noteworthy that 32 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) fall within the Highly Probable Flood Risk Areas. These include Adamawa, Abia, Akwa-Ibom, Anambra, Bauchi, Bayelsa, Benue, Cross-River, Delta, Ebonyi, Ekiti, Edo, Gombe, Imo, Jigawa, Kaduna, Kano, Kebbi, Kogi, Kwara, Lagos, Nasarawa, Niger, Ogun, Ondo, Osun, Oyo, Rivers, Sokoto, Taraba, Yobe, Zamfara, and the FCT.

Flood: NEMA partners with NiMET, NIHSA on early warning alerts

The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has partnered with the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMET) and Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency (NIHSA) to downscale early warning flood alerts to the 36 states and the FCT. The Director-General, NEMA, Mr Mustapha Ahmed, said this in his speech at the Mid-term review of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction (SFDRR) 2015 – 2030, held at the United Nations Headquarters, New York. This is contained in a statement signed by Mr Manzo Ezekiel, Head, Press Unit, NEMA, in Abuja. Ahmed said that following the 2022 flood disaster experience, the Federal Government had also set up a presidential committee to develop a comprehensive action plan on flood prevention in the country. The director-general said that the inclusive approach was in tandem with the declaration of the UN Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, who in 2022 said that every person on earth should be protected using early warning systems. “In line with target G of the SFDRR on delivering an early warning to all Nigerians, NEMA in collaboration with the Nigerian National Space Development Agency (NASDA) is working assiduously to increase the availability of and access to multi-hazard early warning systems. “And disaster risk information in an inclusive manner through both conventional and non-conventional communications channels including the social media,” he said. The director-general also explained how the country had made appreciable efforts at actualising the four priorities and seven targets of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction. He, however, requested that the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) supports the country with technical assistance for capacity building and training on early warning, forecast, hazard risk analysis and dissemination to the public, post disaster needs assessment among others.