ECOWAS Court Strikes Out NGOs’ Case Against Nigeria on Lagdo Dam Flooding

Two NGOs filed a case against Nigeria for the damage caused by the flooding of the Lagdo Dam in 2012 and 2022, but the ECOWAS Court rejected it.
The Nigerian and Swiss Incorporated Trustees of Prince and Princess Charles Offokaja Foundation launched the lawsuit in an attempt to hold Nigeria responsible for not building a dam in Adamawa to lessen flooding caused by Cameroon’s Lagdo Dam.
Nigerian Neglected Responsibilities, According to NGOs
According to the applicants, Nigeria’s delay caused extensive harm, fatalities, evictions, and economic upheaval in 14 states.

Read Also: ISWAP vs Boko Haram: Intense Battle in Borno Claims Multiple Lives

They argued that irrigation, electricity production, and flood mitigation could have all been achieved through a dam project.
Justice Sengu Koroma dismissed the action in his ruling, stating that the plaintiff lacked legal capacity. It was decided that the Nigerian NGO did not meet the requirements for public interest litigation, and the Swiss NGO was not allowed to launch a complaint in the ECOWAS Court.

“The court is unable to identify specific victims whose rights were allegedly violated, even though the applicants mentioned a wide class of victims,” Justice Koroma said.

A 1982 feasibility assessment and a 2024 Senate resolution for the dredging of the Benue and Niger Rivers were among the initiatives Nigeria’s defense cited. The administration said that it improved collaboration with Cameroon and took action to control flooding.

Justices Edward Asante, Dupe Atoki, and Sengu Koroma decided the case.