Reassessing Nigeria’s Dams: A call to action to prevent future disasters 

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By: Mayen Etim and Ibrahima Yakubu
The residents of Maiduguri, the capital of Borno State, North-East Nigeria are still grappling with the aftermath of devastating floods that resulted to loss of lives, property and displacement of hundreds of thousands of citizens.
It is in this wise that stakeholders on climate change comprised of microbiologists, climatologists, environmental experts and other stakeholders in the fight against all forms of environmental degradation converged on Kaduna on Tuesday, September 17, to chart a way forward calling on  governments at all levels to reassess dams in the country to avert the Borno experience in future.
The event tagged: “Climate Roundtable Dialogue” organized by African Climate Reporters with support from the Interfaith Mediation Centre (IMC), Kaduna deliberated extensively on ways to mitigate environmental degradation while dialoguing on better ways to curtailed the spread of air pollution.
The Director of African Climate Reporters, (ACR), Mr. Nurudeen Bello, expressed fear over the spread of water born diseases as a result of flooding ravaging communities across the country.
Bello, a Microbiologist, emphasized on the need for governments at all levels to revisit all the dams, and critically analyzed or cross-check their current situations to avert the Borno experience.
Corroborating the ACR’s Director, the founder of Ozone Layer, a Zaria based Non-Governmental Organization (NGO), Mallam Rabiu Musa, raised concerned over increased pollution by irrational human activities affecting humans, animals and other living organisms in the environment.
While calling on stakeholders to join hands to save the environment, Musa urged the governments to do the needful by targeting at raising more awareness to the general public on harmful effects of felling trees, tasking NGOs/CSOs to support rural women with renewable cooking stoves.
The Special Adviser on Climate Change to Kaduna State Governor, Hon. Yusuf Amoke (standing), explaining a point.
Mallam Abubakar Argungu who represented the National Orientation Agency, (NOA) Kaduna, said the agency is ever ready to partner any organization in carrying out it’s statutory duty to the nation; and applauded the efforts of the organizers of the event.
The newly elected Co-Executive Director of IMC, Mr. Hayatu Nuraini Ashafa, said the center has launched a Climate Change Desk to support efforts in combating global warming and to also address pressing environmental issues.
He said in response to the frequent herders and farmers conflict particularly in northern Nigeria, as well as problems associated with bush burning, air pollution, and flooding, the center has established a dedicated Team to focus on climate-related crises.
According to him, this would  include tackling zoonotic diseases and finding solutions to prevent the extinction of endangered species in the country.
The National Chairman of Metro-Environmental Cleaning and Awareness, Mr. Suleiman Jibril, harped on the need for government to checkmate the rise on demands for charcoal, firewood, and timbers in the country.
He expressed fear that the uncheck deforestation and desertification is accelerating climate change and environmental degradation.
Suleiman warned that desertification is a significant threat to Nigeria’s forests and called for large-scale tree planting exercise as a necessary measure to combat this growing issues.
The Special Adviser on Climate Change to Kaduna State Governor, Hon. Yusuf Amoke, called for a collective action to protect the environment against floods, and threats that affect humans, animals, and biodiversity.
He said the Kaduna State Government is working tirelessly to raise public awareness on the harmful consequences of deforestation and urged the people to take part in tree-planting initiatives to mitigate desertification and other environmental challenges.
Perhaps an adage A stitch in time saves nine manifested in an alarm raised by the Nigeria Hydrological Service Agency (NIHSA) on Tuesday to governments on a fresh flood looming with regards to the release of water from the Lagdo Dam in Cameroon.
The Lagdo Reservoir, located in Northern Cameroon on the Benue River within the Niger basin, spans an area of 586 square kilometers.
In a statement released on Tuesday, NIHSA’s Director General, Umar Mohammed, informed the public about the situation, but reassured that major flooding is not anticipated in Nigeria.
The statement cautioned states including Kogi, Nasarawa, Adamawa, Taraba, Benue, Anambra, Bayelsa, Delta, Edo, Cross River, and Rivers to prepare to mitigate the effects of the incoming water.
Mohammed stated, “The Nigerian Hydrological Services Agency wishes to inform the public that the authorities at Lagdo Dam in Cameroon have notified us that they will begin regulated water releases at the rate of 100 m³/s (8,640,000 m³/day) today, September 17, 2024.
Group photograph of participants at the dialogue.
“Releases are expected to gradually increase to 1000 m³/s over the next week, depending on inflows from the upstream Garoua River, which feeds into the reservoir and significantly contributes to the Benue River.
“However, the dam managers assure us that the planned releases will be controlled to avoid surpassing the Benue River’s conveyance capacity and to prevent major flooding in downstream Nigeria.
“The water discharge from Lagdo Dam will halt once there is a noticeable decrease in flow from the reservoir.
“The Agency emphasizes that there is no reason for alarm, as major flooding is not expected downstream; current flow levels along the River Benue remain within warning thresholds.
“Nonetheless, it is crucial for all states adjacent to the River Benue system – Adamawa, Taraba, Benue, Kogi, Edo, Delta, Anambra, Bayelsa, Cross River, and Rivers – to enhance vigilance and implement adequate preparedness measures in response to possible flood impacts due to rising flow levels during this period.
“The Agency will continue to closely monitor the flow situation of the trans-boundary River Benue and Nigeria’s inland rivers, providing regular updates on water levels to mitigate potential flood disasters.”
A stitch in time saves nine!

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