The National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) in the North East Region has warned farmers along riverbanks to move to safer areas as authorities prepare for the expected spillage of Burkina Faso’s Bagre Dam.
Tahiru Rafiu, the North East Regional Director of NADMO, said the Water Resources Commission has notified authorities of a possible spillage after water levels at the dam continued to rise.
Speaking on Eyewitness News on August 6, 2026, Mr Rafiu said the dam’s water level as of August 4 stood at 232.93 metres, representing about 62.77 per cent capacity, with the critical level for spillage pegged at 234 metres.News explainers
“According to the letter, the highest level that could cause the spillage would be 234.00 metres. And so, with the way the rates are coming, we are expecting that by June 11th of August, we would begin the complete spillage of the Bagre Dam,” he said.
He said NADMO had activated its regional contingency plan to coordinate preparedness measures and ensure communities likely to be affected receive timely information.
“For us in the North East, we have what we call a contingency plan, where we have at the regional level the Regional Disaster Management Committee. This particular contingency plan is designed to control situations like this,” Mr Rafiu said.
He explained that the organisation was working with traditional authorities and community leaders to educate residents, particularly farmers who cultivate along the riverbanks.
“99% of our people are farmers. And so, when the Bagre Dam is about to be filled, those who suffer most are the farmers,” he said.
Mr Rafiu said the expected spillage could affect farm produce, especially crops that are yet to be harvested, but noted that this year’s spillage was expected earlier than last year.
“Last year, the Bagre Dam was filled somewhere around 27 to 28 of August. Unfortunately, this year, the spillage of this dam has come earlier. Automatically, most of our farmers are going to be victims because their farm produce, when the water comes, it washes away everything,” he said.
He urged farmers not to risk their lives by entering flooded areas to retrieve farm produce once the spillage begins.
“I want to make sure that nobody goes into the water while the Bagre Dam is filled,” Mr Rafiu warned.
He clarified that the main risk from the spillage was not widespread destruction of settlements but flooding of farms located along the riverbanks.
“Actually, it doesn’t affect the settlement, even though we have a fraction of that. But the majority that suffer in particular from the spillage are the farmers, and they are those who are farming along the riverbanks,” he said.
Mr Rafiu added that farmers downstream would have between 48 and 72 hours after the dam is filled before the water reaches Ghana, giving authorities time to intensify warnings.Ghanaian culture insights
“After the Bagre Dam is filled, it will take about 48 to 72 hours for the water to get to Ghana,” he said.
He also disclosed that NADMO was coordinating with authorities in the Upper East and Upper West regions because the effects of the spillage cut across multiple regions.
“The Bagre Dam still affects Upper West. It affects Upper East and that of North East. It’s going to be like a collaborative kind of work that we do,” he said.
Mr Rafiu assured residents that the three regions were working together to share information and manage the potential impact of the spillage.
