The Nigerian Hydrological Services Agency (NIHSA) has issued an early warning alert on urban and river flooding in some parts of Nigeria.
The Director-General of the NIHSA, Mr Clement Nze, gave the warning at the 10th Annual Flood Outlook in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital.
Mr Nze said the warning is to improve safety and reduce potential damages to lives and property from flood events and to increase enlightenment and sensitization campaign for better preparedness on flood mitigation and Management, particularly in the flood risk zones all over the country.
Also speaking at the event, the Director-General of the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet), Mr Mansur Matazu, said that about twenty million people are at risk of flooding, with the associated damage costing nearly eighty million US dollars and it could be exacerbated by future climate change, population growth and increasing economic activities.
“To effectively tackle flood issues, there must be sufficient information regarding surface and ground water hydrological systems.
“For the year 2022, the rainfall has already been established in all southern cities in line with the predictions. Gradually also, rainfall is getting established across the central part and in few weeks, the rainfall would be fully established across the country.
“The rainfall amount is generally expected to be normal in most places, however, for short duration.
“High intensity rainfall that characterize the onset months usually come along with flash floods due to excess runoff. For this and more the Annual Flood Outlook is highly essential in reducing risks associated with all kind of floods,” he said.
Similarly, the Director-General of the National Emergency Agency (NEMA), Mr Mustapha Ahmed, said that the agency had utilized the Annual Flood Outlook from the Nigerian Hydrological Services Agency to develop its early warning alerts for the dissemination of timely and impact-based hydro Meteorological information to the public and its partners.
“The 2022 Annual Flood Outlook has presented another opportunity for NEMA’s collaboration with NIHSA in the area of information and data-processing of functional life saving tools like the flood early warning messages.
“There is no doubt that the outcome of the yearly Annual Flood Outlook has always assisted NEMA and its partners in planning for response and mitigation of flood disaster and other hydro meteorological hazards,” he noted.
The Minister of Water Resources, Mr Suleiman Adamu, announced that the Ministry had been putting in place structural control measures such as dams, canals, dykes, storm, drains and other facilities to divert floodwaters.
He called on all stakeholders to consider in strong terms the flood forecasts, flood early warnings and information that are being issued by NIHSA in its Annual Flood Outlook, weekly and monthly alerts for reducing incidence of flooding .
The theme of this year’s event is “Flood Management and Food Security”.
Edited by Amaka E. Nliam