The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Emergency Management Agency, FEMA, says early warnings and massive sensitization about flood in the FCT led to a drastic reduction in its impact in the capital city.
Despite the rise in the volume of rainfall witnessed in 2022 and its devastating effect on communities across the country, the FCT was said to have successfully managed the situation, leading the territory to becoming a standard in flood control in Nigeria.
Giving a scorecard on some of the agency’s activities in 2022, the Director General of FEMA, Alhaji Abbas Idris, noted that the 2022 floods were the worst experienced by Nigeria in decades as it created humanitarian crises in many parts of the country.
The DG, while making reference to federal government data, stated that “the floods affected 34 states in the country, displacing 1.4 million people, killed 603 people and injured 2,400 persons.”
The FCT was not spared heavy rains according to the 2022 seasonal climate prediction by the Nigeria Meteorological Agency, (NiMet) as rainfall in the FCT fell within the range of 1190 mm and 1590 mm slightly higher than 2021, but in spite of these heavy rains no lives were lost to flooding in the FCT.
“Today, the FCT has become a standard in flood control in the country. This is because of a drastic reduction in the impact of flooding in the FCT. We attribute this development to early warning and massive sensitization on what to do before the rains, during the rains and after the rains. We have also issued early warning in line with the impact based seasonal climate prediction by NIMET, and the annual flood outlook issued by the Nigeria Hydrological Agency, NIHSA.”
Idris also disclosed that in 2022, FEMA responded to 42 distress calls on the 112 emergency toll free numbers, indicating a reduction from the 173 distress calls it responded to in 2021.
Again, the DG attributed this reduction to the massive sensitization of residents, whom he commended for heeding to early warnings on possible flooding.
Let me use this medium to commend FCT residents for their cooperation, particularly in heeding to our early warning.
“The floods this year ravaged three area councils viz; AMAC, Bwari and Abaji. Thankfully no lives were lost to flooding this year in the FCT. 270 lives were rescued from various flood incidents received from 16 distress calls through the 112 emergency toll free number.”
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