The National Emergency Management Agency, reveals that the heavy rains and flooding that have wreaked havoc across the country in recent times have spread 28 states, claiming 175 lives and displacing 207, 902 others.
Authorities have been urging residents in flood-prone areas to relocate as the rains persist, following the Nigerian Meteorological Agency’s warnings about the heavy rainfalls, urging preparedness for potential floods.
It was learned that state governments, in partnership with NEMA, had commenced moves to evacuate residents in flood-prone areas to avert further disaster.
The Director-General of NEMA, Zubaida Umar, further revealed that the agency had activated the National Emergency Operation Centre following the recent flooding.
Umar, who stated this on Wednesday when the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, visited the agency following the recent retreat for chief executives of agencies under the Presidency, noted that the activation of the center was to streamline disaster response efforts and act as a command center for resource management and communication.
She said, “The 2024 flooding has affected 28 states across 133 Local Government Areas. The flood has displaced 207,902 persons, affected 526,703 persons, affected 79,138 houses, 1,971 injuries sustained, 106,178 hectares of farmlands affected and 175 lives have been lost.”
She said the agency had carried out disaster assessments in almost all the states, including Ogun, Rivers, Imo, Lagos, Ekiti, Edo, and Kwara, for various incidents.
“The most recent for flood assessment are in Zamfara, Katsina, Jigawa, Adamawa, Sokoto, Bauchi, Taraba, Kebbi, Kano, Benue, and Kogi,” she added.
She highlighted that the agency had coordinated response to 158 emergencies, aided 118,337 individuals, rescued 4,706, and reported 1,414 fatalities.
In his response, Gbajabiamila urged the agency to not just focus on disaster mitigation but should prevent disasters.
“The mandate that NEMA has is two-pronged. One is the prevention of disaster, the other one is to mitigate disaster when it does happen. But it appears that we concentrate mainly on the mitigation of disaster, and leave, to a very large extent, the other side of the mandate, which is prevention.
“I think in turning the page it is important that we begin to look more closely at the issue of prevention. A lot of these disasters can be prevented, and that is what NEMA is set up to do. As the saying goes, prevention is better than cure. And that’s the area that I think we now should begin to look at,” he stated.
The Chief of Staff to the President further stated that flooding, as has been observed, is a perennial problem in Nigeria.
“A lot of this flooding can be prevented or at least reduced,” he added.
When contacted and asked to provide additional details on what NEMA was doing with state governments to tackle the menace caused by the surging floods, the agency’s spokesperson, Ezekiel Manzo, said it was the primary responsibility of states to evacuate residents in flood-prone areas, but noted that NEMA was supporting the states.
“It is the primary responsibility of state governments to evacuate their citizens living in flood-prone areas and some of them are doing that. We are assisting them and giving other assistance to the affected states,” he said.
Manzo further pointed out that the tradition of floods was already manifesting, stressing that the agency was “calling on all stakeholders to activate all plans and preparations for the floods.”
He said, “We have reached the point where floods are becoming imminent. It is crucial that proper support is given to those already affected, and awareness is raised about the forecasted floods. For areas not yet flooded but on the flood’s track, preparations should be made to mitigate and avoid potential losses.
“Additionally, based on past patterns, many flood-prone areas in the northern part of the country will soon experience these floods moving toward the central and southern parts. Now is the time for all arrangements, plans, and preparations for flood studies to be activated.
“We urge local communities, Local Governments, and states to activate their plans and take action to mitigate the consequences of floods. People living in flood-prone areas should be advised to move to higher ground immediately.”
He also stated that in “light of recent events in Jigawa, Bauchi, Zamfara, Kaduna, Zaria, and other places, it is evident that this is a serious situation. Rising sea levels and water levels in the upper parts of Niger (Republic) are a cause for concern.
“Once the water rises from there, it naturally flows down to Nigeria. Therefore, those living along the plains should prepare to move out of high-risk areas.”
The NEMA official said floods in Nigeria were not necessarily from the rivers themselves but were often the result of rainfall within the country.
“When rains from the upper parts of the Niger and Benue rivers combine with local rainfall, the consequences for people living near riverbanks can be severe. Residents in states like Kogi, Anambra, Delta, Imo, Rivers, and Bayelsa should immediately activate evacuation plans to avoid being caught in the flooding.
“Similarly, states like Kebbi, which is the entry point for the River Niger, should be ready to evacuate. As the river rises from the upper parts, Kebbi will be the first point of contact, and residents there must be prepared to move to higher ground if necessary.
“We will continue our efforts to raise awareness and ensure the safety of our communities. I am committed to this cause and will continue working diligently on it,” Manzo stated.
It was learned that an estimated 70,000 persons have been resettled in over 80 Internally Displaced Persons Camps in the northern region due to the flooding.
President Bola Tinubu sympathized with flood victims nationwide and has committed to providing necessary support to help them recover from the devastation.
In a statement on Wednesday, the President, through his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Ajuri Ngelale, promised that relevant agencies would issue timely warnings to help reduce the effects of environmental disasters.
(Punch)
