The annual large scale flooding experienced in Nigeria
following the release of water from the Lagdo Dam in
Cameroon could have been curbed some 30 years ago had
the authorities been proactive.

Lagdo Dam

Since 1982 when the dam was built in Lagdo town on the
Adamawa Plateau in the Northern Province of Cameroon
along the course of the Benue River, lowland communities in
north-eastern Nigerian states (of Borno, Adamawa and
Taraba) especially those located downstream within the
River Benue drainage basin are usually flooded whenever
water is released from the reservoir.

Following an agreement involving both nations in 1980, the
Nigerian government was supposed embark on a similar
venture along the course of the river, ostensibly to contain
the gushing water released upstream from Lagdo Dam and
curb flooding and attendant destruction of property and loss
of lives.

In 1981, a shock-absorber dam was designed. Tagged the
“Dasin Hausa Dam,” the multi-purpose facility was, besides
cushioning the effect of the Lagdo Dam flooding, supposed
to generate some 300mw of electricity and irrigate about
150,000 hectares of land (and provide crop tonnage of
790,000 tons in Adamawa, Taraba and Benue states).

Similarly, it was meant to provide employment opportunities
for 40,000 families and make available navigational route of
the Benue River to the Niger Delta.
The project site is the Dasin Village of Fufore Local
Government Area of Adamawa State.

But, alas, the idea was taken by the government of the day
with a pinch of salt. And, like several other viable proposals,
was ignored. Consequently, the flooding and destruction of
property and loss of lives continued needlessly – albeit for
decades.

Until the carnage that occurred last month, which seemed to
remind officials of the forgotten Dasin Hausa Dam plan –
more so when Cameroon authorities insisted that, come
what may, they would continue to release water to save their
dam.

The most recent release of water from the Lagdo Dam
several Saturdays ago submerged hundreds of settlements in
Adamawa State, killing people and displacing thousands of
families. Many were reportedly missing.

The entire upper and lower Benue River basin was
extensively flooded.

Worst hit areas are in Fufore, Girei, Yola South, Yola North,
Demsa, Numan, Lamorde, Shelleng, Michika, Guyuk and
Ganye Local Government Areas (LGAs) in the state.
Additionally, seven LGAs in Taraba State were affected by the
disaster. They are: Jalingo (the state capital), Ardo Kola,
Ibbi, Karin Lamido, Wukari, Takum and Lau.
The flooding occurred at night while the victims were asleep,
leaving them with no opportunity to salvage property.
Director-General, National Emergency Management Agency
(NEMA), Muhammad Sani-Sidi, had said: “Reports reaching
us from Adamawa State have confirmed that out of the
10,524 affected persons in 10 LGAs, 15 people have lost
their lives. The steep elevation of Adamawa Plateau coupled
with the sudden release of excess water on 24th August,
2012 has therefore created a great risk of inundation of the
lowland communities of north eastern Nigeria especially
those located within River Benue drainage basin.

“This sudden release of a large volume of cascading water
from the reservoir has put so many communities in this area
at risk, threatened human lives, disrupted socio-economic
activities, led to environmental degradation and large scale
ecological dislocation.”

The scale of the flooding this time around has apparently
called attention to the proposal for Nigeria’s version of the
Cameroonian reservoir, going by submissions made recently
by the Director of Dams in the Ministry of Water Resources,
Dr. Emmanuel Adanu.

He said, “It is now imperative for the Federal Government to
build a bumper dam to cushion the effect of water released
by Lagdo Dam. We are already taking steps to do the
construction and we have started looking at how we can
improve on the old design. The size of the dam we are
looking at will take us 36 months to finish it but right now we
know that the original feasibility study that was done in 1982
is a bit outdated.”

He admitted that the flooding that ended lives and sacked
thousands from their homes was due to inadequate
provision by the Nigerian government to contain the water
from the Lagdo Dam. According to him, because of the
location of the upper Benue River Basins, which is the
primary outflow of the Lagdo Dam, in 1980 an agreement
was reached that Nigeria should construct a buffer dam that
would help contain water from the River Basins.

Adanu went on: “The Cameroonian government finished the
construction of Lagdo Dam in 1982, but Nigeria is yet to
develop its own dam. So anytime the Cameroonian
government wants to release water from the dam, they
always alert the Nigerian government so as to evacuate
people to avert casualty.

“The proposed dam, when built, will be 1.4km long, 40mm
deep and containing 16 cubic litres of water. Aside being
used for flood control, the dam also has some economic
benefits like its ability to irrigate 150,000 farmland and hold
20,000 tons of fish annually.”

He stressed that the release of water on the 24th of August
following the alert given to the Nigerian government on the
23rd was because of a torrential rainfall that fell the previous
night and caused the rise in the water level of the dam.
According to him, the water level of the dam rose
dramatically and the spill was overflowed, so Cameroonian
officials had to release water from the dam to avoid
breakage of the dam which, he stated, would have been
more disastrous.

“They released water in a large amount to ensure that the
dam remains in one piece. It was not like they were not
professionally behaved; they knew exactly the danger. It is
our own responsibility to contain the water.”

He emphasised that the Cameroonians have strictly followed
protocol wherein when the water level rose, they would
inform Nigeria. “But, this time around, the water level of the
dam was too high that they had to release water to prevent a
dam breakage.”

Adanu stated that the new dam would take up to 36 months
to build, adding that all hands must be on deck to achieve
this goal. He said government is considering the idea of
involving private sector players in the execution of the
project.

But Saidu Njidda of the Foundation for Public-Public
Partnerships Nigeria said that efforts to bring private
investors on the board of the Federal Water Resources
Ministry were being thwarted by government bureaucracy.
He said that since the release of excess water from
Cameroon cannot be stopped, construction of the Dasin
Hausa Dam remained the best option.