The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has advised people living on flood-prone communities to start relocating.
Last month, the Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency had categorised 148 Local Government Areas (LGAs) in Lagos, Kano, Delta, and 30 other states as high flood-risk areas.
According to the Minister of Water Resources and Sanitation, Prof. Joseph Utsev, “the 2024 Annual Flood Outlook shows that part of 148 Local Government Areas in 31 states of the federation fall within the high flood-risk areas, while part of 249 LGAs in 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory fall within the moderate flood-risk areas.
“The high flood-risk states are Adamawa, Akwa-Ibom, Anambra, Bauchi, Bayelsa, Benue, Borno, Cross River, Delta, Ebonyi, Edo, Imo, Jigawa, Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Kebbi, Kogi, Kwara, Lagos, Nasarawa, Niger, Ogun, Ondo, Osun, Oyo, Plateau, Rivers, Sokoto, Taraba, Yobe”.
At the National Emergency Coordination Forum on Tuesday, NEMA called for the monitoring of dams, desilting and clearing of debris in water bodies by relevant authorities to prevent blockages and the creation of detention dams.
According to predictions and the outlook released by the Nigeria Meteorological Agency (NiMet) and Nigerian Hydrological Services Agency (NIHSA), 33 states would be pounded by flood this year.
The vulnerability areas, according to NiMet and NIHSA, would persist from July to September and affect all the 33 states and 135 local government areas identified as high-risk areas.
To curb the likely impact of the flood, NEMA’s Director-General, Mrs. Zubaida Umar called for proper sensitisation campaign in communities that would be affected.
Umar said: “We should ensure community sensitisation and awareness campaign to ensure early desilting and clearing of debris in water bodies to prevent blockages; monitoring of dam discharge and regulations, as well as creating detention dams.
“There is also the need for sub-national entities to mobilise flood-prone communities to clear waterways and channels and relocate from flood plains”.
She assured that NEMA would continue to intensify efforts to take proactive measures to reduce the impact of the predicted flooding.
The NEMA boss stated that in the event of the occurrence of flood or other disasters, the agency will work with other government partners to provide necessary succour to affected persons.
She also called on all stakeholders to live up to their responsibilities to prevent loss of lives and property, that may occur due to the predicted climate-related disasters in 2024.
Umar said: “Various emergency sectors including food security, water sanitation and hygiene (wash), health, nutrition, education, protection, information, emergency shelter and non-food item, camp coordination and camp management, security, information and logistics are requested to be holding regular (coordination) meetings”.
