The rise in water levels continued during the month of September in all compartments of the Niger basin with some flooding situations causing some casualties in the Middle and Lower Niger sub-basins.
The filling of the Selingué reservoir in Mali and the Kainji reservoir in Nigeria is in gradual continuation.
The data used for the various analyses below came from hydrological observation networks of the National Hydrological Services and Dam Authorities of nine (9) member countries of Niger Basin Authority. (NBA)
The flow analysis situation was carried out by dividing the basin into three (4) sub-catchments also represented with reference gauging stations as follows: Upper Niger at Koulikoro (Mali), Inland Delta at Dire (Mali), Middle Niger at Niamey (Niger) and Lower Niger at Lokoja (Nigeria)

At the Sélingué dam in Mali, the maximum water level of 348.19 m corresponding to a volume of 1.99 billion m3 was recorded on the 30th of September 2024 while the minimum level of 345.27 m corresponding to a volume of 1.03 billion m3 was recorded on the 1st of September 2024.
The volume of reservoir as at 30th of September 2024 was 1.99 billion m3 corresponds to a filling rate of 85.13% of the normal capacity.
This volume (1.99 billion m3) is lower than the year 2023 (2.02 billion m3), the inter-annual mean (2.05 billion m3) but higher than the year 2022 (1.94 billion m3) during the same period

Download the September 2024 Monthly Bulletin

The rise in water levels continued during the month of August in all compartments of the Niger basin with some flooding situations in the Middle and Lower Niger sub-basins.
The filling of the Selingué reservoir in Mali and the Kainji reservoir in Nigeria is in gradual continuation
The data used for the various analyses below came from hydrological observation networks of the National Hydrological Services and Dam Authorities of nine (9) member countries of Niger Basin Authority. (NBA)
The flow analysis situation was carried out by dividing the basin into three (4) sub-catchments also represented with reference gauging stations as follows: Upper Niger at Koulikoro (Mali), Inland Delta at Dire (Mali), Middle Niger at Niamey (Niger) and Lower Niger at Lokoja (Nigeria)

Download August 2024 Monthly Bulletin

The month of July was marked by an increase in rainfall in all parts of the Niger Basin, leading to an increase in run-off on the main artery of the River Niger and its tributaries.
The Sélingué dam in Mali and the Kainji dam in Nigeria began to fill up in line with the rainfall recorded in the sub-basins concerned.
The data used for the various analyses below came from hydrological observation networks of the National Hydrological Services and Dam Authorities of nine (9) member countries of Niger Basin Authority. (NBA)
The flow analysis situation was carried out by dividing the basin into three (4) sub-catchments also represented with reference gauging stations as follows: Upper Niger at Koulikoro (Mali), Inland Delta at Dire (Mali), Middle Niger at Niamey (Niger) and Lower Niger at Lokoja (Nigeria)

The hydrological situation in July 2024 was characterized by a continued rise and increase in flow in all compartments of the Niger basin following the full onset of the rainy season throughout the River Niger basin.
The Sélingué reservoir in Mali and the Kainji reservoir in Nigeria began to fill up in line with the rainfall recorded in the sub-basins concerned.

Download the July 2024 Monthly Bulletin

The Niger River takes its source in the plateaus of the Fouta-Djallon at an altitude of more than 1,000 m in Guinea and successively crosses Mali, Niger, Benin and Nigeria where it flows into the Atlantic Ocean after a journey of approximately 4,200 km. It is the third longest river in Africa (after the Nile and the Congo), the 14th in the world and the 9th in terms of its drainage basin (2,170,500 km 2). Its watershed active covers an area of approximately 1,500,000 km 2 shared by the nine (9) countries grouped within the Niger Basin Authority: Benin (2%), Burkina Faso (4%), Cameroon (4%), Côte d’Ivoire (1%), Guinea (6%), Mali (26%), Niger (23%), Nigeria (33%) and Chad (1%). The Benue which has its source in Cameroon, receives contributions from the Mayo Kebbi River from Chad, before joining the main course of the Niger River at the confluence of Lokoja in Nigeria, is its most important tributary.
The hydrological year of the Niger River goes from June 1st of a year to May 31st of the following year.
Due to differences between physiographic and climatic characteristics, the Niger River basin is subdivided into 4 sub-basins: The Upper Niger, the Inner Delta, the Middle Niger and the Lower Niger. This annual report of the Niger River for the hydrological year 2023/2024 analyzes the flow situation at stations representative of the different sub-basins: Koulikoro (Mali) for the Upper Niger, Diré (Mali) for the Inner Delta; Niamey (Niger) for Middle Niger and Lokoja (Nigeria) for Lower Niger
The flow monitoring during the hydrological year 2023/2024 was carried out as part of the activities of the Niger Basin Observatory from a hundred hydrometric stations in the hydrological observation networks of the National Hydrological Services and Dam Agencies of NBA member countries. These stations are equipped with Satlink type data collection platforms (PCD), electronic liminigraphs with or without GSM transmission, or simple limnimetric scales with an observer agent who ensures daily readings.

Generally speaking, the hydrological year 2023/2024 was characterized by flows lower than the inter-annual average values in the Upper Niger and the Inner Delta respectively. On the other hand, the flows in the Middle Niger and the Lower Niger were all higher than the inter-annual average values respectively.
As for the water levels of the Sélingué and Kainji dams during the hydrological year 2023/2024, they reached their normal level of 349.00 m on October 15th, 2023 and 141.73 m on October 15th, 2023 respectively. Also throughout the year, these hydraulic structures supported low water levels downstream in order to meet the different needs of users.

Download the 2023-2024 hydrological balance of the Niger Basin

The month of June marks the beginning of another hydrological year in the Niger Basin. Some rainfall was recorded in parts of the Basin resulting in the end of low water and the beginning of a gradual increase in flows throughout the basin.
The Sélingué water reservoir in Mali and Kainji water reservoir in Nigeria continue to release water to support the downstream flow.
The data used for the various analyses below came from hydrological observation networks of the National Hydrological Services and Dam Authorities of nine (9) member countries of Niger Basin Authority. (NBA)
The flow analysis situation was carried out by dividing the basin into three (4) sub-catchments also represented with reference gauging stations as follows: Upper Niger at Koulikoro (Mali), Inland Delta at Dire (Mali), Middle Niger at Niamey (Niger) and Lower Niger at Lokoja (Nigeria)

Download the June 2024 Monthly Bulletin

The month of May marks the end of the hydrological year in the Basin. The hydrological situation of the Niger Basin during the month was characterized by the continuation of the low water situation throughout the Basin. However, localized rainfall was recorded in some compartments of the Basin, particularly in the Upper Niger and Lower Niger.
The Sélingué water reservoir in Mali and Kainji water reservoir in Nigeria continue to release water to support the flow situation in the basin.
The data used for the various analyses below came from hydrological observation networks of the National Hydrological Services and Dam Authorities of nine (9) member countries of Niger Basin Authority. (NBA)
The flow analysis situation was carried out by dividing the basin into three (4) sub-catchments also represented with reference gauging stations as follows: Upper Niger at Koulikoro (Mali), Inland Delta at Dire (Mali), Middle Niger at Niamey (Niger) and Lower Niger at Lokoja (Nigeria)

Download the May 2024 Monthly Bulletin