By Adedapo Adesanya
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has alerted the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) of an impending flooding along the River Benue basin.
This was communicated through a letter signed by Mr Umar Salisu, the Ministry’s Director of African Affairs, dated August 21, announcing that the Cameroonian government plans to “open the flood gates of the Lagdo Dam on the Benue River in days ahead”.
It noted that this is due to the heavy rainfall “around the dam catchment area in Northern Cameroon”.
The statement added that “According to the note, it is pertinent to note that when the release of water becomes necessary, the authorities of the Lagdo Dam will be releasing only modulated variable small amount of water at a time in order to mitigate’ and avoid damages that the released water may cause along the River Benue basin in both Cameroon and in Nigeria.
“In view of the above, it would be appreciated if the esteemed Agency takes all the necessary proactive steps and actions that will mitigate the damage as well as sensitize the populace living in such areas for vigilance and all necessary precautions.”
This development raises worries after the opening of the dam in 2022 saw a devastating flood that saw 662 persons lose their lives, 3,174 suffer injuries, and 2,430,445 individuals displaced across the country.
The disaster affected people across 33 of Nigeria’s 36 states, and at least 340,000 hectares of land were affected, worsening fears of food supply disruptions.
According to the Internal Displacement Monitoring Center, the flooding worsened the humanitarian crisis in Nigeria, where armed violence, especially in the troubled northern region, has already displaced more than 3 million people.
In July, NEMA activated its national response plan ahead of what is expected to be another round of annual flooding related to climate change, putting several states on alert.
Modupe Gbadeyanka