Amid mounting anxiety over the possible release of water from Cameroon’s Lagdo Dam, Nigerian states including Benue, Edo and Bayelsa have intensified preparations to mitigate the impact of potential flooding—even as the Federal Ministry of Water Resources insists there is no cause for alarm.
Officials in Benue State say public sensitisation campaigns are already underway. Tema Ager, spokesperson for the State Emergency Management Agency, said the state government was not taking any chances despite assurances from the Water Resources Minister, Professor Joseph Utsev, that no water had yet been released from the dam.
“The Minister of Water Resources has said that we should dismiss the report stating that Cameroon had released water from Lagdo Dam,” Ager said. “Nevertheless, the government is not resting on its oars to be caught unawares. We have begun sensitisation through jingles on radio stations to alert the public of possible flooding.”
Ager added that emergency stakeholders were expected to convene shortly to assess and coordinate further action.
In Edo State, authorities say they are also on standby. Although there has been no official notification of a water release, the Executive Director of the state’s Flood, Erosion and Watershed Management Agency, Ahmed Momoh, said efforts were being made to address long-standing erosion challenges exacerbated by rainfall.
“In a renewed effort to tackle the persistent challenge of erosion and flooding in Edo State, we embarked on a strategic inspection tour across critical gully erosion sites in Edo North,” he said. “The state has not been informed of the release of water from the dam but we will be ready to deal with it as it affects the riverine areas mainly.”
In flood-prone Bayelsa State—where devastating floods in 2012 and 2022 left a trail of destruction—the government’s flood and erosion control directorate has reiterated its readiness. The agency’s head, Walson Omusu, said while no official alert had been received, contingency measures were already in motion.
“We are ready. We have not been informed, but we are always ready,” Omusu said, noting that clearing of natural water channels in Yenagoa and surrounding areas had commenced to ease flood impact.
Meanwhile, in a bid to support vulnerable communities, the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) distributed relief materials to flood-affected residents of Otuasega and Oruma communities in Bayelsa. The intervention, carried out in collaboration with the Ednest Egerue Foundation, is part of the commission’s ongoing efforts to align with President Bola Tinubu’s “Renewed Hope Agenda.”
NDDC Managing Director, Dr Samuel Ogbuku—represented by Mrs Chioma Nwakwe of the Education, Health, and Social Services Directorate—highlighted the broader humanitarian push.
“Items such as chairs, desks, and U-Lesson tabs were donated to Otuasega school. With the support of the First Lady, we are here once again to donate relief materials to the Otuasega people,” she said.
The founder of the partnering NGO, Susan Ibiama, praised the NDDC’s commitment to flood relief, calling the intervention “laudable” amid mounting losses.
Local community leaders also expressed gratitude. “These items will go a long way in easing the burden on our people,” said Innocent Abbey, Vice Chairman of the Otuasega Community Development Committee.
While government assurances offer some reprieve, the looming spectre of floodwaters—combined with Nigeria’s fragile infrastructure—has left many on edge. For now, states are preparing for the worst while hoping for the best.
