NIHSA warns flood pandemic will worsen coming months across states
By Nigeria will experience severe flooding accompanied with destructions and loss of lives in the next four to five months across the country, the Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency (NIHSA) has warned, while tasking stakeholders on urgent interventions to mitigate the impact of the flood pandemic.
The Agency described as worrisome the fact that the country is still months away from the peak of rainfall and destructive flooding activities already began as early as June.
In May 2020, the 2020 Annual Flood Outlook (AFO), predicted that some parts of atleast 128 LGAs in 28 states fall whithin the highly Probable Flood Risk areas, while parts of 275 LGAs in the 36 states including FCT falls whithin moderate Probable Flood Risk Areas.
Clement Nze, Director General, NIHSA, who gave this warning while addressing a press conference in Abuja on Tuesday, noted that the devastation so far is only caused by excessive local rainfall. Nze warned that the release of excess water from dams in other countries upstream rivers Niger and Benue will spell more trouble for the country.
This, according to him is because the country is located downstream other countries in the Niger Basin.
“By our prediction, August and September are very critical for flooding in Nigeria. If as early as June we are losing lives and property occasioned by flooding in some parts of Nigeria, I don’t know what will happen by the time we approach middle of August and September in Nigeria.
“The country still has many days of rainfall, the flood are yet to gain momentum in Nigeria, more floods are therefore still expected in the months of August, September and October.”
He recalled that in 2019 after the rain seized, Cameroonian lagdo dam was overwhelmed and the country was forced to open the dam which caused heavy flood in Adamawa, Taraba, Benue and in kogi states for 25 days form 10-31st October.
“If, in the course of the year Lagdo dam becomes overwhelmed, it will spell much trouble”, he said.
The DG adviced that the best action that can be done now is the relocation of peoole in the flood prone areas including estates.
“It’s better for people to relocate physically and be safe in the coming months. For instance in Abuja it will rain up to the 1st week of November, in Lagos and Ogun it will still rain up to 1st week of December and in the southern region, up to December 28th, while in the far north the rain will begin to cease September 26th”, the DG said.
nze warned that Ogun and Lagos states will continue to experience flooding till the end of November because of the water split from Oyan dam.
He called on all individuals, stakeholders and state governors especially high risk states to be on alert.
Nze recalled that the minister of water resources had sent out letters to each governors in Nigeria and FCT, notifying them of the LGAs that are at high risk of flood.
“But, we don’t know how prepared the states are, the flood is already here. To begin to build drainages, to demolish houses that are whithin the flood paths may be difficult at this point in time.
“Therefore, blocked drainages and gutters should be cleared, river channels dredged and structures whithin the waterways and flood plains and flood paths pulled down”, he urged.