Rainy season: Huge flood coming, FG, states, communities warned
By Omolade Adegbuyi
Many communities will be affected by heavy flood this year, experts have warned
The Hydrological Services Agency urged the three tiers of government and citizens across the country to prepare for the impending devastating floods.
NIHSA Director-General, Clement Nze, who issued the alert during a press conference in Abuja made available to Irohinoodua said this was because Nigeria was at the receiving end of disastrous floods among the nine countries of the River Niger Basin.
According to him, “There is still time for states/LGAs (Local Government Areas) and individuals to take necessary steps to avert or minimise the disastrous effects of flood in the year 2021.
“As the country gradually steps into the 2021/2022 Hydrological Year in the River Niger Basin which covers nine countries of Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroun, Chad, Cote D’Ivoire, Guinea, Mall, Niger and Nigeria, it means that Nigeria is gradually inching towards the peak rainy season with its attendant flood incidents.
“Nigeria’s geographical location downstream of all the countries in this Basin places it at the receiving end of disastrous floods and pollution from all the countries upstream.”
Nze said persistent flooding and flood disasters had become an annual event in Nigeria since 2012 when the country experienced its worst flood disaster in recent history.
In 2012, hundreds of lives were lost, thousands of citizens rendered homeless with property losses running into billions of naira.
“It is in the light of the above that NIHSA wishes to urge the states and the general public to take necessary measures to prevent the ugly flooding menace of the past years,” the NIHSA boss said.
The agency recommended that the three tiers of government should consider clearing of drainage systems and canals and also embark on projects for improving hydraulic conveyance of surface run-offs during peak flows.
It called for the removal of refuse, weeds, water hyacinths and floats on water channels and on all avenues for river runoffs.
NIHSA encouraged people living along the waterways and those having socioeconomic activities on flood plains to relocate to safe areas before the peak of the rains