Lagdo dam: NEMA asks 11 states to evacuate residents over flooding

The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has asked states along River Benue to evacuate residents in flood-prone areas due to the opening of Lagdo dam in Cameroon.

Mustapha Ahmed, director-general of NEMA, spoke on Wednesday during the national emergency coordination forum meeting, in Abuja.

According to Ahmed, Adamawa, Taraba, Benue, Nasarawa, Kogi, and Anambra states could be flooded due to the release of water from the dam.

Other states at risk of being flooded are Enugu, Edo, Delta, Rivers and Bayelsa.

He said the meeting was held following the alert received by the ministry of foreign affairs concerning the planned release of water from the Cameroon dam.

He said Cameroon has opened the dam at the rate of 200 cubic meters per second, adding that the level is about 18 million cubic meters of water daily.

“The states on the downstream of River Benue are Adamawa, Taraba, Benue, Nasarawa, Kogi, Anambra, Enugu, Edo, Delta, Rivers and Bayelsa states,” he said.

“Information available from the flow level of the River Benue at Nigerian Hydrological Service Agency (NIHSA) gauging station at Makurdi stood at 8.97 meters as of Aug. 25, 2023 compared to 8.80 meters on the same date in 2022.

“Also, NIHSA has provided that the flow level of the River Niger system, especially at Niamey, Niger Republic, remains stable at a normal level of 4.30 meters.

“Similarly, inland dams including Kainji, Jebba and Shiroro reported consistent flow regimes.”

The director-general of NEMA called on stakeholders to commence evacuation immediately, adding that the government would continue to work with other partners to mitigate the impact.