The Federal Government, through the Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency (NIHSA), has proposed the construction of five buffer dams to address the recurring floods caused by the release of water from the Lagdo Dam in Cameroon.
NIHSA Director-General Umar Mohammed revealed this during an appearance on Channels Television’s, The Morning Brief, on Thursday.
NIHSA has also issued a warning to residents living in floodplains, urging them to relocate to safer areas in anticipation of the floods that typically follow the annual release of water from the Lagdo Dam.
The agency identified flood-prone states, including Adamawa, Taraba, Benue, Nasarawa, Kogi, Edo, Delta, Anambra, Bayelsa, Cross River, and Rivers.
Represented by the Agency’s Director of Operations and Hydrology, Femi Bejide, Mohammed stated that a report outlining the way forward has been submitted to the Presidency, highlighting the need for de-silting some of Nigeria’s existing dams.
“What has to be done also is that there’s a report that has been submitted to the Presidency.
We have to have buffer dams and five have been proposed, and the Federal Government is looking at that already,” he said.
In the meantime, efforts are required to de-silt current dams and expand the tributaries of the Niger and Benue Rivers.
“I learned that there is a little issue with the design, and they are trying to amend the design.
I believe that in the next two to three years, that would have been put in place,” he added.
This announcement comes days after the release of water from the Lagdo Dam, which coincided with the overflow of the Alau Dam, resulting in the deaths of over 30 people and the destruction of thousands of homes in Maiduguri, the capital city of Borno State.
