The Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency has issued a warning about the upcoming release of water from the Lagdo Dam in Cameroon. Director General/Chief Executive Officer, Umar Muhammed, announced on September 17, 2024, that Cameroon will begin controlled water discharges from the dam starting that day.
The controlled releases will start at a rate of 100m³/s and are expected to gradually increase to 1000m³/s over the next seven days. This increase is due to inflows from the Garoua River, a major tributary to the Benue River.
Despite past incidents where dam releases caused significant flooding in Nigeria, including a major flood in Kogi State in 2022, the agency assures that there is no immediate cause for alarm. The planned discharges are intended to be gradual to prevent exceeding the Benue River’s conveyance capacity and causing severe downstream flooding.
The agency emphasized that it will closely monitor the river flow conditions and provide regular updates to mitigate potential flood risks.