It is worth noting that the Dasin Hausa Dam project, located in the Dasin village of Fufore Local Government Area in Adamawa, was initially designed to generate 300 megawatts of electricity and irrigate approximately 150,000 hectares of land in Adamawa, Taraba, and Benue.
In a bid to address the recurring issue of flood-induced damages caused by the willful release of water from the Lagdo Dam in Cameroon, the Senate has passionately appealed to the Federal Government to urgently construct the Dasin Hausa Dam. This proposed dam is seen as a permanent solution to the annual flooding of the River Benue, which has devastating effects on farmlands, infrastructure, and downstream communities in the Benue trough.
During the plenary on Tuesday, Senator Binos Yaroe (PDP-Adamawa) presented the motion titled “Urgent Need to Address the Recurring Issue of Flood-Induced Damages caused by the willful release of water from the Lagdo Dam in Cameroon: The Need for a permanent solution to the problem.” The motion garnered support from 15 other senators as co-sponsors.
Senator Yaroe lamented the failure to construct the Dasin Hausa Dam, which was agreed upon in the 1980s when the Lagdo Dam in Cameroon was being built. The Dasin Hausa Dam was intended to serve as a buffer dam to contain spills from the Lagdo Dam. However, to this day, the construction of the Dasin Hausa Dam has not been realized.
The recent announcement by the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) about the release of water from the Lagdo Dam in Cameroon, which will result in further flooding downstream the Benue River, has raised concerns. The affected states include Adamawa, Taraba, Benue, Kogi, Anambra, Edo, Delta, and Bayelsa.
The River Benue plains, encompassing a significant portion of land in Adamawa, Taraba, Benue, and Kogi states, face annual flooding due to natural run-off and discharges primarily from the Lagdo Dam. These areas are crucial in the cultivation of different crops, both during the wet and dry seasons. The unregulated releases from the Lagdo Dam, which occur frequently and with high intensity, pose significant threats and can lead to catastrophic outcomes if a lasting solution is not implemented.
In response to these concerns, the Senate unanimously adopted resolutions urging the Federal Government to prioritize the construction of the Dasin Hausa Dam. Additionally, the Senate called for intervention from the Ecological Fund Office to construct flood prevention structures, such as embankments, at strategic points along the Benue River and other rivers across the country. These measures aim to protect farmlands, infrastructure, and downstream communities in the Benue trough.
It is worth noting that the Dasin Hausa Dam project, located in the Dasin village of Fufore Local Government Area in Adamawa, was initially designed to generate 300 megawatts of electricity and irrigate approximately 150,000 hectares of land in Adamawa, Taraba, and Benue.
The Senate’s urgent appeal to the Federal Government to construct the Dasin Hausa Dam and implement flood prevention measures is crucial in mitigating the devastating effects of annual flooding in the Benue trough. Immediate action is necessary to safeguard farmlands, infrastructure, and the well-being of downstream communities.
