States are taking urgent measures to prepare for potential flooding from the release of water from Cameroon's Lagdo Dam. Authorities identified risky 11 states.

The warning comes as Nigeria is already grappling with severe floods in northeastern Borno state where a dam burst its walls after heavy rains that have also caused floods in Cameroon, Chad, Mali and Niger - all part of Africa's Sahel region that usually receives little rain.

The release of water from the Lagdo dam is an annual event, and has triggered flooding in Nigeria in the past — including in 2022 when more than 500 people were killed.

Nigeria faces potential flooding as Cameroon hegins gradual water release from the Lagdo Dam, impacting states along the River Benue.

STORY: For Alagoa Morris, the trauma of repeated flooding is all too familiar. He says his home and office in southern Nigeria's Bayelsa state gets hit by floods every rainy season.The consequences: property loss and weeks of homelessness for his family.

When floods swept through Nigeria's northeastern city of Maiduguri last week, canoe owners volunteered to help move residents to safety. But residents say they are now being ripped off by the canoe owners charging steep fees to move their belongings.

The Central African country has been releasing water from its Lagdo dam since Wednesday, September 18, 2024. The Federal Government, through the Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency (NIHSA), has urged Nigerians living in floodplains to relocate immediately following the release of the Lagdo dam water in Cameroon.