Flood Alert: Kainji, Jebba, Shiroro, Zungeru Dams to Release Excess Water in Niger State

Communities in Niger State have been placed on high alert as four major hydroelectric dams—Shiroro, Jebba, Kainji, and Zungeru—prepare to release excess water, raising fears of devastating floods.

The Niger State Emergency Management Agency (NSEMA) disclosed that it received a notification from the dam operators regarding the planned discharge. In response, the agency has urged residents in riverine areas to immediately relocate to higher ground to avoid possible disaster.

“The flooding that would follow the discharge of water from these dams would be catastrophic,” warned NSEMA’s Director General, Alhaji Abdullahi Arah, in a statement issued in Minna. He further noted that the Nigerian Hydrological Services Agency has also advised communities along the Niger and Kaduna rivers to move away from riverbanks.

According to Arah, the dams will be releasing large volumes of water per minute, potentially causing Rivers Niger and Kaduna to overflow. “We are advising our communities to limit activities around riverbanks during this peak rainy season to avoid flooding. Similarly, people living in riverine areas should relocate to safer grounds already identified,” he added.

The NSEMA boss also cited the Nigerian Meteorological Agency’s (NiMet) latest forecast, which predicted violent windstorms toward the end of the rainy season. He advised residents to avoid staying under trees during rainfall and to keep away from weak structures.

Already, several local government areas have been affected by flooding, with homes, farms, bridges, and roads washed away, leaving many residents homeless and disrupting socio-economic activities.

Some of the hardest-hit LGAs include Lavun, Magama, Rafi, Kontagora, Gbako, Mokwa, Lapai, Katcha, Agaie, Suleja, Shiroro, Mashegu, Agwara, Bida, Edati, Munya, Bosso, Chanchaga, Paikoro, and Wushishi. Arah confirmed that lives had been lost but did not provide figures.