Cameroon’s Dam Not Responsible For Flooding In Nigeria- Minister

The Federal Government has said that water from the Lagbo Dam in Cameroon is not responsible for the flooding that has devastated parts of Nigeria.

The Minister of Water Resources, Alhaji Suleiman Adamu, stated this at the 2023 budget defence of the ministry in Abuja on Wednesday.

He debunked the notion that the water resulting in the flooding is from Lagbo Dam, saying that the inflow from the dam to Nigeria is only one percent.

Latest official data revealed that 603 people have died with more than 1.3 million others displaced by floods, which has affected people across 33 states across the federation.

Mr Adamu said, “Yes the (Lagdo) dam releases water; sometimes it releases water without notice and when they do that, it has an impact on communities downstream.

“It is not the main reason you have flood in this country.

“The tributaries of River Benue are the main cause. And this year, the rains have been unprecedented.

“The trans-boundary water that even comes into this country from Rivers Niger and Benue constitutes only 20 percent of the freshwater that flows into the country.

“Eighty percent of the flood is water we are blessed with from the sky falling on Mambila and Jos Plateau.

“Most of this flow is from Nigeria,” he said.