The Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency (NIHSA) has raised fresh alarm over the likelihood of flooding incident in, at least, 10 states contiguous to River Niger.
According to a press statement issued and signed by the Director-General/Chief Executive Officer of the agency, Engr Clement Onyeaso Nze, 10 states, which include, Kebbi, Niger, Kwara, Nasarawa, Kogi, Anambra, Delta, Edo, Rivers and Bayelsa may experience flooding incidents based on the information received by NIHSA from the regional Niger Basin Authority (NBA) Headquarters in Niamey on Sunday, August 23.
The statement read in part: “The River Niger Basin which covers nine countries of Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroun, Chad, Cote D’Ivoire, Guinea, Mali, Niger and Nigeria, has Nigeria at the lowest portion of the Basin. This means that once the upper catchment of the Basin gets flooded, Nigeria should be prepared to experience flooding incident.
“As at today, the Middle Niger of the Niger Basin made up of Niger, Benin, Burkina Faso and part of Mali, have been flooded. The flood levels at the hydrological stations monitored in Niamey (Niger Republic) and Malanville (Benin Republic) have gotten to the Red Alert Zone. Latest information received by Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency (NIHSA) from the regional Niger Basin Authority (NBA) Headquarters in Niamey had it that as at the Sunday, August 23, 2020, the flood level of River Niger monitored in Niamey was 6.60m.
“This is already within the Red Alert Zone. Flood Alerts as zoned by the NBA are as follows: Yellow Alert: 5.50m – 5.80m; Orange Alert: 5.80m – 6.20m; Red Alert: 6.20m and above.
“This current development portends some level of concern for Nigeria as there could be a likelihood of river flooding in the states contiguous to River Niger, namely:- namely: – Kebbi, Niger, Kwara, Nasarawa, Kogi, Anambra, Delta, Edo, Rivers and Bayelsa.
“This flood magnitude sighted in Niamey on August 23, 2020, is expected to arrive in Nigeria through Kebbi State around September 6, 2020. Operators of Kainji and Jebba Dams have long been alerted to take appropriate measures in the operation of the reservoirs.
“Accordingly, Kainji Dam is now spilling water at the rate of 1,000 m3/s, i.e. 86.4 million cubic metres/day. This means that communities downstream Kainji and Jebba Dams could be flooded. The Shiroro Dam on Kaduna River is still impounding, though there is the possibility of spilling water in the weeks ahead.”
It stated further that NIHSA had continued to monitor the developments on River Benue sub-basin and had maintained close contact with the Cameroonian authorities with regards to flood scenarios in the upper catchment of the sub-basin.
Information received by NIHSA from the relevant authority in Cameroon stated that the Lagdo Dam is still impounding water.
It could be recalled that on October 10, 2019, the operators of Lagdo Dam opened the Dam without notification ahead of time as contained in the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the two countries.
NIHSA, however, assured that the situation is being closely monitored by the agency.
“The Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency (NIHSA) wishes to use this medium to advise state and local governments, stakeholders, multi-national companies and public-spirited individuals and philanthropists that all hands should be on the deck to save the country from the consequences of flood pandemic in the year 2020.
“The country still has many days of rainfall in the course of the year. More floods are, therefore, still expected in the months of August, September and October, this year”, the statement added.