Nigeria Braces for Severe Flooding as FG Warns
As the rainy season approaches, the Federal Government of Nigeria has sounded the alarm, warning that 148 Local Government Areas (LGAs) across 31 states are highly probable flood risk areas for 2024. This sobering revelation was made during the official unveiling of the 2024 Annual Flood Outlook (AFO) by Prof. Joseph Utsev, the Minister of Water Resources and Sanitation, in Abuja.
The identified high-risk states span across the country, including 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, and Yobe.
With the anticipated flood season spanning from April to November 2024, Utsev emphasized the urgency of proactive measures to mitigate potential impacts on populations, agriculture, livelihoods, livestock, infrastructure, and the environment in these areas. He stressed the importance of preparedness, early warning systems, and community engagement to minimize damage to lives and property.
Nigeria has faced recurrent and severe flooding disasters over the years, with the 2012 event marked as one of the most devastating on record. However, the 2022 floods were termed the worst in the country’s history in terms of impact magnitude, with the World Bank estimating total economic damage at approximately $6.68 billion.
In response to the ongoing challenges posed by flooding, President Bola Tinubu initiated the National Economic Council Ad-hoc Committee on Flood Mitigation, Adaptation, Preparedness, and Response. The committee’s mandate is to develop a comprehensive roadmap aimed at enhancing Nigeria’s flood mitigation, preparedness, adaptation, and communication infrastructure.
Experts from various agencies, including the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NIMET), the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), and the Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency (NIHSA), which leads the AFO yearly predictions, highlighted the importance of leveraging data analytics and modeling for flood risk assessments and food security.
NIMET’s Director General, Prof. Charles Anosike, underscored the agency’s commitment to providing comprehensive meteorological insights for informed decision-making, while NEMA’s Director General, Zubaida Umar, emphasized the agency’s reliance on the AFO for developing its annual Climate Related Hazard preparedness and response strategy.
As Nigeria braces for another potentially devastating flood season, the unveiling of the 2024 Annual Flood Outlook serves as a critical early warning system, enabling authorities and communities to take proactive measures to mitigate the impact of flooding. Collaboration among disaster risk managers, earth observers, policymakers, and other stakeholders will be essential in enhancing preparedness and implementing effective flood control measures across the nation.
Reference
31 states, 148 LGAs risk severe floods, FG warns published in Vanguards