The Minister of State for Environment, Dr. Iziaq Salako,  has issued a statement to alleviate concerns about potential flooding in Nigeria due to the recent opening of Cameroon’s Lagdo Dam. 

 

Speaking on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily on Monday, Dr. Salako emphasized that Nigeria has taken proactive measures to mitigate the impact of the dam’s release, including plans to construct a dam in Adamawa State to absorb excess water from the Cameroon dam.

 

“The Ministry is aware, and I am sure most Nigerians are aware, that Cameroon wants to open that dam. But thankfully, it is not a sudden opening. So, the management of the opening of that dam is going to cause a less severe burden than we envisage”

 

Dr. Salako also compared the current situation to the devastating floods of 2022, stating that they do not anticipate a recurrence of the scale of flooding experienced. However, warnings, alerts, and advisories have been issued urging residents along the banks of the River Benue to relocate to higher ground.

 

“Compared to 2022, we do not envisage seeing such kind of thing that we saw in 2022. However, there have been a lot of warnings, alerts, and requests for people who are living on the banks of River Benue to relocate to higher ground.

 

“We expect that some flooding will occur as a result of the opening of that dam, and it is inevitable, because if the dam itself overflows on its own. The disaster that it will cause will be worse.

 

“It is better to have a managed release of the water in the dam to ensure that the damage is not much,” the minister added.

 

The minister’s comment comes after the Ministry of Foreign Affairs warned the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) about impending flooding from the Cameroon dam water releases