The Nigerian Hydrological Services Agency (NIHSA) has refuted claims that the ongoing floods in Nigeria are a result of the Lagdo Dam’s release of water from Cameroon.
This clarification was provided by Clement Nze, the Director General of NIHSA, during a press briefing held in Abuja on Tuesday.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs East and Central African Division in Abuja had recently announced that Cameroon informed Nigeria about its plan to discharge water from the Lagdo Dam into the Benue River.
Nze explained that the current flood situation is primarily caused by flash floods, inadequate drainage systems, and poorly constructed or absent flood channels across the country. He emphasized that even in the unlikely event of the Lagdo Dam collapsing, its impact wouldn’t extend beyond Numan in Adamawa State.
ALSO READ:Â If I Request For Land, Dont Give Me – Tinubu Tells Wike
Nze assured the public that the Lagdo Dam is presently closed, and he urged for calm. He noted that flood warnings had been issued to states that would be adversely affected since February.
The NIHSA chief advocated for the construction of earth dams on the tributaries of the Niger and Benue rivers. He also emphasized the importance of swiftly advancing the construction of the Kashimbila Dam in Adamawa State.
Nze clarified that the 2016 Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between Nigeria and Cameroon does not necessitate prior notification to Nigeria when releasing water from the Lagdo Dam.
Earlier, Umar Salisu, Director of African Affairs at the Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs, had communicated in a letter dated August 21 to the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) that Cameroon intended to open the flood gates of the Lagdo Dam due to heavy rainfall in Northern Cameroon.
In response, the Minister for Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Betta Edu, warned of intensified flooding in certain Nigerian states within the next 7 days, attributing it to the opening of Cameroon’s Lagdo Dam. She assured residents in flood-prone areas that shelters would be provided.