Nigerians’ concerns regarding the release of extra water from the Lagdo Dam, which is situated on the River Benue in the Republic of Cameroon, have been allayed by the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA).
In a statement released on Monday by Manzo Ezekiel, the head of the press unit at NEMA, the agency stated that it was already collaborating with key parties at the federal, state, and local levels to ensure that the release would not have a significant negative impact on the low-lying communities along the states that would be affected.
Noteworthy are the states of Adamawa, Taraba, Benue, Nasarawa, Kogi, Anambra, Enugu, Edo, Delta, Rivers, and Bayelsa that are located downstream of the River Benue.
According to NEMA’s statement, “The Agency anticipated this release of extra water from the Lagdo dam, noted the possible effects, and considered them in the plans for mitigation and response to the flood alert in 2023.
According to data from the Nigerian Hydrological Service Agency (NIHSA) gauging station in Makurdi, the flow level of the River Benue was 8.97 metres as of August 25th, 2023, compared to 8.80 metres on that date in 2022.
However, NIHSA has also stipulated that the flow level of the River Niger system, specifically at Niamey, Niger Republic, remains constant at a normal level of 4.30 metres. In a similar vein, inland dams like Kainji, Jebba, and Shiroro recorded regular flow patterns.
“The confluence of the Niger and Benue rivers in Lokoja, Kogi State, are currently within normal limits, according to the hydrological station downstream. However, on August 25th, 2023, the downstream monitoring station recorded a flow level of 7.80 metres as opposed to 8.24 metres on that same date in 2022.
