FG, Cameroon Ink Environmental Data Sharing Agreement

The federal government and Cameroon have agreed to establish a framework for exchange of hydro-meteorological and environmental data to prevent flooding.

The two countries acknowledged the importance of building more hydraulic structures on the tributaries of Benue River

Mrs.  Modupe Ogundoro of the Federal Ministry of Water Resources in Abuja, said the agreement was reached after the Technical Committee on the issue of Lagdo dam visited Cameroon in December last year.

Ogundoro also said that both countries agreed that cooperation in the area of water resources should take into account the Niger Basin Authority Water Charter.

However, to facilitate the process of realising the Shared Vision process of the Niger Basin Authority, it suggested that the two countries should sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU).

 “To sign MOU on the management and development of the Trans-boundary River Basin, the detail of the MOU should be worked out by joint committee of experts from the two countries. “They should be responsible to undertake full implementation of the MOU,”  Ogundoro added

On Lagdo hydro-electric Dam, Ogundoro said both countries had agreed on a stronger framework on sharing information on the necessary water release of the dam as a way of preventing dam break.

She stressed the need for the Nigerian side to build a corresponding hydraulic structure (Dam) to regulate the flows of water on River Benue.

The two countries agreed to regularly share information on the situation and to undertake joint technical field trip to the potential areas of impact from Lake Nyos.