When Cameroon Sneezes, Nigeria Catches Cold: How Lagdo Dam Water Release Spells Trouble for Nigeria

Once again, the annual game of “who will swim this year” begins, thanks to our friendly neighbors in Cameroon, who are preparing to release water from the Lagdo Dam. And, as usual, it’s Nigeria’s River Benue communities that will likely bear the brunt, praying that this year’s flood season doesn’t turn their homes into Venice without the romance.

Each year, when Cameroon announces plans to release water from the Lagdo Dam, millions of Nigerians living in over 10 states brace themselves. For some, it’s time to start packing their bags, not for a vacation, but for displacement. Deaths, economic losses, and halts in activity all come with the dreaded release. And let’s be real—this has happened so often that you’d think Nigeria would have built some kind of flood-prevention superstructure by now, right? Well, think again.

On Tuesday, the Nigerian Hydrological Services Agency (NIHSA) rang the alarm, announcing that Cameroon will soon unleash Lagdo’s waters, with 11 states—Adamawa, Anambra, Bayelsa, Benue, Cross River, Delta, Edo, Kogi, Nasarawa, Rivers, and Taraba—likely to be affected. If you’re living in any of these places, now might be a good time to stock up on life jackets. As if the floods Nigeria is already dealing with aren’t bad enough, the incoming wave from Cameroon might just push things to biblical proportions.

Every year, the story is the same: houses submerged, farmlands destroyed, and lives lost. In 2022 alone, the floods killed 612 people and affected over 3.2 million others. You’d think that after such devastation, someone in power would say, “Hey, maybe we should do something about this.” But instead, here we are again, counting down to the flood season like it’s some kind of grim tradition.

Now, let’s talk about the much-discussed solution: the Dasin Hausa Dam. Yes, Nigeria was supposed to build a dam to capture the excess water from Lagdo and prevent these annual disasters. The dam was supposed to be located in Adamawa State, and if completed, it would have saved countless lives, homes, and farms by now. But, surprise, surprise—the dam remains uncompleted. So, year after year, Nigeria watches as the excess water from Cameroon’s Lagdo Dam turns its communities into water parks, only this isn’t fun and games.

Sure, the NIHSA says the water release will be “regulated.” They claim they’ll make sure it doesn’t exceed the capacity of River Benue. But honestly, does anyone believe that? This is the same situation we’ve seen every year, and yet the floods keep coming. Regulation, in this case, sounds like someone trying to control a fire with a teaspoon of water.

In the affected states, local authorities are scrambling to minimize the damage. Niger State Emergency Management Agency head, Ibrahim Audu Usaini, says they’re evacuating people from flood-prone areas and are even preparing food and relief materials. While these efforts are commendable, they feel like a Band-Aid solution to a problem that’s been festering for decades.

So here we are, facing another flood season, not because of some natural disaster beyond control, but because of governmental neglect. Cameroon releases water, and Nigeria drowns—literally and figuratively. Until that Dasin Hausa Dam sees the light of day (or water, as it were), we’ll just have to keep bracing for the next flood like it’s a bad annual festival that no one asked for.