As neighboring Cameroon prepares to open up her Lagdo Dam, the states of Adamawa, Taraba, Benue, Nasarawa, Kogi, Anambra, Edo, Delta, and Bayelsa may see significant flooding.
The River Benue, which encircles the nine states, may see an increase in water levels as a result of the opening of Lagdo Dam.
The Cameroonian equivalent of the Nigerian Ministry of Foreign Affairs was informed of the dam's opening.
The announcement prompted the National Emergency Management Authority (NEMA) to receive a notice from the country's Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The Director General of NEMA was informed of the decision of Cameroon in a letter written by the Director of African Affairs, Ambassador Umar Salisu, on behalf of the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The letter titled: "Cameroonian Officials to Open the Flood Gates of the Lagdo Dam on the Benue River in Cameroon," read: "I have the honour to inform that the Ministry is in receipt of a Note Verbale from the High Commission of the Republic of Cameroon informing that Cameroonian officials have resolved to open the flood gates of the Lagdo Dam on the Benue River in days ahead due to the heavy rainfall around the Dam catchment area in Northern Cameroon.
Salisu said: "According to the Note, it is important to note that the Lagdo Dam authorities will only release modulated, variable small amounts of water at a time when the release of water is necessary. This is done to reduce and prevent any harm that the released water may cause along the River Benue basin in both Cameroon and Nigeria.
Given the foregoing, it would be appreciated if the respected Agency took all the required preventative measures and activities to lessen the damage and alert the population living in such locations to take all necessary safeguards.
Nigerians' worries about the situation have been allayed in the meantime by the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA).
However, the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) seeks to soothe Nigerians' anxieties regarding the scheduled release of the surplus water from Lagdo dam, which is situated on River Benue in the Republic of Cameroon, according to the agency's spokesman, Manzo Ezekiel.
To guarantee that the discharge would not have significant detrimental effects on the low-lying communities along the states that might be affected, the agency is collaborating with important stakeholders at the federal, state, and local levels.
"The states on the downstream of River Benue are Adamawa, Taraba, Benue, Nasarawa, Kogi, Anambra, Enugu, Edo, Delta, Rivers, and Bayelsa States."
"The Agency anticipated this overflowing Lagdo dam release, noted the likely effects, and took into account in the preparations for mitigation and response to the flood alert in 2023."
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