Nigeria warns of possible flooding as Cameroon releases water from dam

ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) — Nigeria’s government warned of possible flooding in 11 states following the release of water from a dam in neighboring Cameroon.

The Nigerian hydrological agency said on Wednesday that water would be released from the Lagdo dam gradually and could cause flooding, but that there was no cause for alarm.

Severe floods have ravaged northeastern Nigeria, impacting more than 400,000 people, according to the United Nations.

Floods in Borno state have forced people from their homes into displacement sites. Earlier this month, flooding killed 30 people in the state after the collapse of a major dam. About 15% of Maiduguri, the capital of Borno state, was under water.

The flooding has worsened the humanitarian crisis in Nigeria, where armed violence especially in the troubled northern region has already displaced millions.

West Africa has experienced some of the heaviest flooding in decades this year, affecting more than 2 million people, three times more than last year. In 2022, more than 600 people were impacted by flooding in Nigeria when water was released from the same Lagdo dam in Cameroon.