Minister of State Environment, Salako Assures Nigerians, Opening of Cameroon Dam Won’t Cause Flooding Like 2022

Dr. Salako, who stated this while speaking on Channels Television’s Sun Rise Daily, said "there has been an approach to building another dam in Adamawa State so it can hold off the water from the Cameroon dam.

"The Ministry is aware, and I am sure most Nigerians are aware, that Cameroon wants to open that dam. But thankfully, it is not a sudden opening. So, the management of the opening of that dam is going to cause a less severe burden than we envisage". 

He added, "Compared to 2022, we do not envisage seeing such kind of thing that we saw in 2022. However, there have been a lot of warnings, alerts, and requests for people who are living on the banks of River Benue to relocate to higher ground.

"We expect that some flooding will occur as a result of the opening of that dam, and it is inevitable, because if the dam itself overflows on its own. The disaster that it will cause will be worse.

"It is better to have a managed release of the water in the dam to ensure that the damage is not much".

The Cameroonian authorities had said they will open the dam "in days ahead", due to heavy rainfall around the dam catchment area in Northern part of the country.

A letter dated August 21, 2023, and signed on behalf of the Permanent Secretary of the Foreign Affairs ministry by Umar Salisu, Director, African Affairs, addressed to the Director General of the National Emergency Management Agency (NENA), urged NEMA to take "necessary proactive steps and actions that will mitigate the damage a well as sensitize the populace living in such areas for vigilance and all necessary precautions".