NIHSA warns of regulated water with 100 million cubic meters/day releases from Cameroon’s Lagdo dam
… Adamawa, Nasarawa, Kogi, Edo, Delta, Anambra, Bayelsa others at risk
… may worsen petroleum supply chain issues: delays, fuel shortages, rising prices expected
Oredola Adeola
Advisors Reports gathered that the petroleum product supply chain in Nigeria faced challenges, including delays in transportation and distribution of refined products, exacerbating fuel shortages and increasing prices across the country.
Umar Ibrahim Mohammed, Director General/CEO of NIHSA, announced this in a statement obtained by Advisors Reports on Tuesday.
He emphasised that all tiers of government—federal, state, and local— particularly Adamawa, Taraba, Benue, Nasarawa, Kogi, Edo, Delta, Anambra, Bayelsa, Cross River, and Rivers, must take proactive measures to mitigate the risk of flooding.
“With the increase in flow levels of our major rivers during this period, it’s crucial that the affected states step up vigilance and preparedness,”
“Governments must deploy adequate measures to reduce the potential impacts of flooding,” Mohammed stated.
The NIHSA DG urged authorities across these regions to prioritize emergency response plans to prevent potential crises as water levels rise.
He further said, “The water release is expected to increase gradually to 1000m% in the next 7 days depending on the inflow from the upstream Garoua River which is the main feeder into the reservoir and a major contributor to the Benue River.
However, the dam managers further stated that the planned water releases will be gradual so as not to exceed the conveyance capacity of the Benue River system and cause major flooding downstream Nigeria.
He stated that the spilling of waters from Lagdo dam is expected to stop as soon as there is noticeable decrease in flow into the Lagdo reservoir.
The Agency therefore stated that there is no cause for alarm as major flooding is not expected downstream Nigeria as the flow levels along the river Benue are still within the warning levels.
It also stated that it will continue to closely monitor the flow situation of the transboundary river Benue and the national inland rivers and steadily provide regular updates on water levels across major rivers to forestall further flood disasters.
The flooding caused by Cameroon’s Lagdo Dam in 2023 significantly disrupted Nigeria’s energy infrastructure, leading to power shortages due to the loss of hydroelectric generation capacity and damage to transmission lines