The opening of Cameroon’s Lagdo Dam this year will not result in the same level of flooding as experienced last year.
The Minister of State for Environment, Dr Iziaq Salako confidently stated on Monday while speaking with Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily.
In response to concerns raised by Nigeria’s neighboring countries, Salako revealed that efforts were underway to construct another dam in Adamawa State to mitigate the potential impact of the Cameroon dam’s water release.
READ ALSO: Flood Scare For Nigerians as Cameroon Plan Opening Lagdo Dam
He said:
“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.
“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 Ministry of Foreign Affairs had alerted the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) about the impending flooding along the River Benue basin, emphasizing the need for preparedness.
The Ministry’s warning was in letter a signed by Umar Salisu, the Ministry’s Director of African Affairs, dated August 21.
According to the letter, the Cameroonian government’s decision to open the floodgates of the Lagdo Dam was attributed to heavy rainfall in the dam’s catchment area in Northern Cameroon.
