Flood Alert⚠️ for Edo, Delta and Anambra.

 Cameroon has started releasing water from the Lagdo Dam, and Nigeria is bracing itself for potential flooding. The Cameroonian authorities took this step due to heavy rainfall in the catchment area, but unfortunately, Nigeria didn't receive prior notice, which is a concern since last year's water release led to severe flooding across 27 states .

The Nigerian government has issued a flood alert, warning that at least 11 states may be affected, including Adamawa, Taraba, Benue, Nasarawa, Kogi, Anambra, Edo, Delta, Bayelsa, Rivers, and Cross River . This is particularly worrisome since the 2022 flood disaster caused 3,174 fatalities, 662 reported deaths, and displaced around 2.4 million individuals .Edo, Delta, and Anambra states are on high alert due to the release of water from Cameroon's Lagdo Dam, which is expected to cause flooding in several Nigerian states.

The water release from the Lagdo Dam is a controlled measure to prevent overwhelming the Benue River system and minimize severe flooding downstream in Nigeria. The dam operators in Cameroon assured that the water discharge would be gradual to avoid exceeding the river's conveyance capacity .

 “The release will be regulated to ensure that water levels do not exceed the capacity of the Benue River system, preventing major flooding in downstream areas of Nigeria,”

Affected States:

- Adamawa

- Taraba

- Benue

- Nasarawa

- Kogi

- Anambra

- Edo

- Delta

- Bayelsa

- Rivers

- Cross River

The Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency has announced that the regulated water releases from the Lagdo Dam commenced on September 17 . With the memory of last year's devastating floods still fresh, many are questioning whether Nigeria is adequately prepared for the potential consequences.

These states have been advised to step up vigilance and deploy adequate preparedness measures to reduce the possible impacts of flooding . The NIHSA Director General, Umar Mohammed, reassured the public that measures are in place to control the flow and reduce flooding risk, with the release stopping once inflows to the Lagdo reservoir are manageable .