From Okwe Obi, Abuja
The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), has said there was no cause for alarm following the notification of Cameroon to release excess water from Lagdo dam.
NEMA’s Head of Media, Ezekiel Manzo, in a statement yesterday, noted that the flow level of River Benue at Nigerian Hydrological Service Agency (NIHSA) gauging station in Makurdi stood at 8.97 meters as of August 25th, 2023, compared to 8.80 meters on the same date in 2022.
Manzo added NIHSA had provided the flow level of the River Niger system, specifically at Niamey, Niger Republic, remains stable at a normal level of 4.30 meters. Similarly, inland dams including Kainji, Jebba, and Shiroro reported consistent flow regimes.
According to him, the Agency is working with stakeholders at the Federal, States and Local Governments to ensure that the release do not cause much negative impacts on the low-lying communities along the states that would be affected.
“The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) wishes to allay fears of Nigerians over the release of the excess water from Lagdo dam, which is located on River Benue in the Republic of Cameroon.
“The Agency is working with critical stakeholders at the Federal, States and Local Governments to ensure that the release do not cause much negative impacts on the low-lying communities along the states that would be affected.
“The states on the downstream of River Benue are Adamawa, Taraba, Benue, Nasarawa, Kogi, Anambra, Enugu, Edo, Delta, Rivers and Bayelsa States.
“The Agency envisaged this release of excess water from the Lagdo dam, taken note of the likely impacts and considered in the preparations for mitigation and response to the 2023 flood alert.
“Information available from the flow level of River Benue at Nigerian Hydrological Service Agency (NIHSA) gauging station in Makurdi stood at 8.97 meters as of August 25th, 2023, compared to 8.80 meters on the same date in 2022.
“In contrast, NIHSA has also provided that the flow level of the River Niger system, specifically at Niamey, Niger Republic, remains stable at a normal level of 4.30 meters.
“Similarly, inland dams including Kainji, Jebba, and Shiroro reported consistent flow regimes.
“With regards to the hydrological station downstream the confluence of the Niger and Benue rivers in Lokoja, Kogi State, are currently within normal limits.
“The downstream monitoring station, however, registered a flow level of 7.80 meters on August 25th, 2023, compared to 8.24 meters on the same date in 2022,” he said.
