The Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency (NiHSA) has dismissed as false circulating reports that water released from Cameroon’s Lagdo Dam is causing flooding in Nigeria’s Benue River Basin, particularly in Taraba and Benue States.
In a statement signed by Director-General Umar Ibrahim Mohammed, the agency said the Lagdo Dam authority is currently impounding water rather than releasing it.
Reservoir data available to NiHSA put the current water level at 209.82 metres, against a maximum operating level of 216 metres, leaving room for 6.18 metres of additional water storage.
The agency noted that Nigeria’s own major inland dams, Kainji and Jebba on the River Niger, are also recording below average inflow.
It said Kainji’s reservoir stands at 130.38 metres against a maximum of 141.83 metres, while Jebba’s level of 100.03 metres remains within normal range, adding that there was no cause for alarm.
According to NiHSA, the flooding currently affecting parts of the country is largely flash flooding driven by intense, prolonged rainfall, worsened by poor drainage, indiscriminate waste disposal and unauthorized urban development.
The agency urged the public, media and other stakeholders to disregard unverified claims on social media and rely instead on official government channels, stressing that any future water releases from Lagdo Dam affecting Nigeria would follow established dam management procedures and be communicated appropriately.
NiHSA said it would continue to monitor water levels at Lagdo and other inland reservoirs, and remains committed to providing reliable, impact based flood early warnings to protect lives, livelihoods and property.
