ECOWAS court rejects NGOs’ lawsuit against Nigeria on Lagdo Dam flooding

The ECOWAS Court has dismissed a lawsuit filed by two NGOs against Nigeria over the devastation caused by the 2012 and 2022 Lagdo Dam floodings.

The case was brought by the Incorporated Trustees of Prince and Princess Charles Offokaja Foundation, Nigeria, and its Swiss counterpart, seeking to hold Nigeria accountable for failing to build a dam in Adamawa to control flooding from Cameroon’s Lagdo Dam.

The applicants argued that Nigeria’s failure to act resulted in widespread destruction, loss of lives, displacement, and economic hardship across 14 states.

They claimed that constructing a dam could have mitigated the flooding, provided irrigation, and generated electricity.

However, in delivering the verdict, Justice Sengu Koroma dismissed the case, ruling that the NGOs lacked the legal capacity to sue.

The Swiss NGO was deemed ineligible to file a case in the ECOWAS Court, while the Nigerian NGO failed to meet the requirements for public interest litigation.

“Although the applicants referenced a broad category of victims, the court could not identify specific individuals whose rights were allegedly violated,” Justice Koroma stated.

Nigeria’s defense highlighted its past and ongoing efforts, including a feasibility study conducted in 1982 and a 2024 Senate resolution for the dredging of the Rivers Benue and Niger. The government maintained that it had taken steps to manage flooding and strengthen cooperation with Cameroon.

The case was adjudicated by Justices Sengu Koroma, Dupe Atoki, and Edward Asante.