Lagdo Dam: Nigeria on high alert as flood threat intensifies

…11 states face flood risk

…Adamawa govt urges communities to relocate

As Nigeria grapples with devastating flood disaster in Borno, the Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency (NIHSA) has issued a dire warning: approximately eleven states across the country are at risk of severe flooding due to the release of water from the Lagdo Dam in Cameroon.

With water already easing out of the dam at a rate of 100m³/s (8.64 million cubic meters per day) since September 17, 2023, the flow is expected to escalate to 1000m³/s over the next week, depending on the inflow from the upstream Garoua River, according to a statement signed by Umar Mohammed, the NIHSA director-general, on Tuesday.

The agency listed Adamawa, Taraba, Benue, Nasarawa, Kogi, Edo, Delta, Anambra, Bayelsa, Cross-Rivers and Rivers as states at risk, urging government at all levels to step up vigilance and deploy adequate preparedness measures to reduce possible impacts of flooding that may occur as a result of release of the water.

Read also: Flooding: Environmentalists canvass climate action

The release from Lagdo Dam, which feeds directly into Nigeria’s Benue River, is a recurring source of flooding in many parts of the country.

In 2012 and 2022, devastating floods attributed to dam releases displaced millions, destroyed thousands of homes, and severely impacted agricultural production.

The 2022 flooding in Nigeria was unprecedented in its scale and intensity, surpassing the floods of 2012. Over 600 fatalities were reported, and 3.2 million people were affected across 34 states.

Given this year’s forecasts, Nigeria faces yet another potential disaster unless immediate action is taken.

Recurring flooding grows IDPs, worsens food crisis

Flood is one of the drivers of Nigeria’s ballooning internally displaced persons (IDPs), which stood at 3.34 million at the end of 2023, according to the Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre (IDMC).

Following the collapse of Alau Dam a few days ago, devastating floods inundated approximately 70% of Maiduguri, the capital of Borno State, posing to further strain Nigeria’s already dire food crisis and worsen hunger.

Heavy flooding has so far affected over a million farmers and residents in the northeast, a region known for its production of sorghum, tomatoes, rice, millet, and sesame. This agricultural hub is also a major player in livestock and cattle production.

Borno State, despite facing insurgency challenges, cultivates maize, yam, cassava, sorghum, cowpea, millet, sweet potato, and rice, contributing to the nation’s food supply.

However, the severe flooding has not been confined to the northeast. Ebonyi, Sokoto, Benue, Kano, Niger, Plateau, Kwara—all food-belt states—have also experienced flooding in 2024

In Sokoto, over 1,600 individuals were displaced in July due to floods that ravaged four communities, according to the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA).

Benue State, often referred to as Nigeria’s food basket, witnessed 1,000 houses and farms affected by heavy flooding in July, with August also bringing devastation to over 100 households.

Jigawa State was hit by severe flooding in mid-August, impacting 14 local government areas, affecting 40,000 people and over 80,000 households. The flood claimed 28 lives.

In September, floods struck Okpuitumo Community in Abakaliki Local Government Area of Ebonyi State, destroying numerous farmlands.

Read also: Flood: FG alerts 11 states as Cameroon eases water from Lagdo Dam

Also, the Kano State Emergency Management Agency reported that heavy flooding had claimed 49 lives, affecting 226 communities across 27 local government areas from January to September 2024.

Niger State, still grappling with the aftermath of previous flooding that affected 13,965 farmers, faced another flood disaster in August that damaged over 89 houses.

While Ebonyi farms rice, cassava, and tomatoes, Niger State produces pineapple, bananas, mango, watermelon, sugarcane, and soybeans.

Kano grows rice, maize, wheat, and tomato, while Jigawa produces millet, sorghum, cowpea, groundnuts, sesame, rice, and maize.

Benue cultivates a diverse range of crops, from yams to rice and oranges. Kwara grows yams, corn (maize), sorghum, millet, onions, and beans.

A recent report by SB Morgen, a data-driven intelligence firm, highlighted the severe flooding crisis plaguing Nigeria and many African countries.

The long-term implications of these floods pose a significant challenge to Nigeria’s food security, which is already under strain due to violence, insecurity, and issues related to storage and foreign exchange, the Lagos-based firm said.

Nigeria has been grappling with elevated food and energy prices. The nation’s inflation rate dropped to a six-month low of 32.15 percent in August from 34.40 percent in July. However, the realities in the market still paint a concerning picture.

Food inflation, which constitutes over 50 percent of Nigeria’s headline inflation, has also decelerated to 37.52 percent due to seasonal harvests.

Nevertheless, prices for essential items like rice, beans, bread, and other processed staples remain relatively high.

The situation is particularly dire in Borno State, where recent insecurity has significantly impacted food production.

Read also: Hunger looms as flood sweeps food-belt states

According to a report by the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), only 5.9 percent of Borno’s food needs are met through local production.

The remaining 94 percent is imported, primarily in the form of credit or gifts from NGOs, the World Food Programme, and civil societies.

A 2023 report, “Nigeria Impact of Flood, Recovery and Mitigation Assessment,” further underscores the devastating effects of flooding on food security.

It reveals that 49 percent of households reported having their main source of food affected by the floods, with rural households experiencing a more significant impact than urban households.

Bayelsa and Jigawa states recorded the highest percentage of food sources affected, with 87.2 percent, while Anambra had the lowest at 18.4 percent.

SBM Intel said breaking the cycle means there must be a fundamental shift in policy and culture, noting that flood risk management must become a national priority, focusing on prevention rather than reaction.

“This includes developing reliable early warning systems, implementing robust urban planning regulations, and ensuring flood-prone areas are adequately equipped to handle excess water,” the research firm said.

Speaking in an interview with Channels Television on the warning, Oluwafemi Bejide, director of operations, Hydrological Services Agency, said that climate change has worsened the flood situation in Nigeria, noting that the threat from Lagdo Dam was rather minimal.

According to him, “Excessive or unusual rainfall because of the effect of climate change is responsible for the havoc flooding is wreaking in some states. Only one present of water released from Lagdo Dam enters Nigeria.

He explained that although released water from Lagdo Dam had in the past affected Nigeria, the Federal Government has urged the Cameroonian to release the water intermittently.

Bejide however, advised that the warning to Nigerians was necessary to enable them tidy up their own side. He noted that buffer dams are to be built in Adamawa State to take the water from Lagdo Dam.

He also urged the states said to likely experience flooding to put everything in place to mitigate the possible effects. He stressed the need for government and citizens to clear the drainages and that where there are no proper drainages, states should begin to build them.

Adamawa urges communities to relocate

Meanwhile, following the warnings, the Adamawa State government has called on communities along the River Benue to quickly relocate to safer and higher grounds to avoid the devastation that may occur when Cameroon eventually releases water from the Lagdo Dam.