Ten States hit by flooding and may affect others, FG warns. The federal government, on Thursday, said that at least ten states and the FCT, Abuja, are experiencing various degrees of flooding.
Minister Of Water Resources and Sanitation
The Minister of Water Resources and Sanitation, Prof Joseph Utsev, issued the wake-up call during a press briefing in Abuja and warned that 21 more states could also be affected.
He disclosed the aftermath of the Wednesday downpour, which restricted business and commercial activities in Lagos and Ogun states.
The heavy flooding felled a two-story building in the Mushin area of Lagos and impeded residents’ movement. Schools were unable to open in various parts of the state.
The flood-ravaged states are Adamawa, Akwa Ibom, Anambra, Bauchi, Bayelsa, Benue, Borno, Cross River, Delta, Ebonyi, Edo, Imo, Jigawa, Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, and Kebbi. Others are Kogi, Kwara, Lagos, Nasarawa, Niger, Ogun, Ondo, Osun, Oyo, Plateau, Rivers, Sokoto, Taraba and Yobe.
Flood-Ravaged Area With The Victims
The minister also warned that the cholera outbreak may proliferate.
He further stated that the annual river flooding would begin this month, and the following states would be affected: Ondo, Kaduna, Anambra, Benue, Adamawa, and 12 others.
He said the estimated 31 states would experience massive flooding; the incident has already occurred in 10 states.
Speaking further, Utsev said, “It should be noted that some states have started experiencing varying levels of flooding and its associated disasters as early as April this year.
Credit – FGN
“So far, more than ten states of the Federation and the FCT have experienced one degree of flooding or the other with several casualties recorded including displacement of people and loss of property.”
He reiterated, “At this point, it is important to state that river flooding is expected beginning this month (July 2024). The states that are likely to be impacted by this, as predicted are Akwa Ibom, Anambra, Adamawa, Benue, Bayelsa, Cross River, Delta, Edo, Jigawa, Kogi, Kebbi, Kaduna, Niger, Nasarawa, Ondo, Ogun, Rivers, Taraba and the FCT,”
Let’s recall that, in April, 2024, the Minister presented the 2024 Annual Flood Outlook by the Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency, an agency under the Ministry of Water Resources and Sanitation.
Utsev said, “The AFO shows that 148 LGA in 31 states fall within the High Flood Risk areas, while 249 LGA fall within the Moderate Flood Risk areas with the remaining 377 LGA falling within the Low Flood Risk areas.
Other States Likely To Be Hit By Flooding
The high flood risk states as predicted are Adamawa, Akwa-Ibom, Anambra, Bauchi, Bayelsa, Benue, Borno, Cross-River, Delta, Ebonyi, Edo, Gombe, Imo, Jigawa, Kaduna, Kano, Kebbi, Kogi, Kwara, Lagos, Nasarawa, Niger, Ogun, Ondo, Osun, Oyo, Rivers, Sokoto, Taraba, Yobe, Zamfara and the FCT.”
It is important to note that Nigeria is domiciled within the River Niger Basin which is occupied by eight other countries including Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroun, Chad, Cote D’ Ivoire, Guinea, Mali and Niger.
“The country is at the lowest portion of the basin. This means that once the upper catchment of the basin gets flooded, Nigeria should be prepared to experience flooding incidents. It is important to note that the month of June 2024 signifies the beginning of hydrological year 2024/2025 in the Niger Basin. The flow situation within the catchment is currently within normal as the rising water levels at our various monitoring stations in Niamey are still within acceptable levels.
“The flow situation at Jiderebode in Kebbi State upstream of Kainji and Jebba reservoirs which is the first monitoring station on the River Niger in Nigeria is still at the normal situation. The same applies to the flow at Lokoja, Kogi State (the confluence of Rivers Niger and Benue).
“We are also monitoring the development on the River Benue Sub-Basin. Here, Wuroboki in Adamawa State is our first monitoring station where the flow from the upstream Cameroun is received. The flow situation at Wuroboki is relatively normal at this time, so there is no cause for alarm in terms of water releases in the Benue River basin.
He continued, “The Lagdo Dam operators have informed us that they are currently filling the dam for hydropower generation.
However, we will keep monitoring the development on this flank and put close tabs on other monitoring stations as we are approaching the critical months.”
The Director-General of NIHSA, Clement Nze, admonished the Federal Government, noting that enforcement and local action should not have fallen under the states’ jurisdiction.
https://punchng.com/10-states-battling-flooding-21-others-at-risk-fg-warns/
Federal Government Is Looking To Construct More Dams
Bigger and more functional dams alongside the Lagdo Dam in Cameroon, to cushion effects of flooding is more necessary than ever.
A high-ranked police officer at the Ketu Division, who briefed the media, confirmed the tragedy of the flooding when he said: “It is a sad occurrence. Though the matter was not officially reported, we got wind of the incident and sympathised with the affected family.”
Also, residents in the Aguda area of Lagos known as “Aluta Mama,” said that some of her home appliances were submerged.
She disclosed that she and her relatives had to evacuate their home.
According to the Aguda-area Lady, “The impact is heavy. We had to leave home for the flood to subdue. Some of my properties and appliances were submerged in the flood.”
The Special Adviser on Environment to the Lagos State Government, Olakunle Rotimi-Akodu, has urged residents in flood-prone areas and other parts of the state to register with the Lagos State Residents Registration Agency and endeavour to relocate to safer areas.
