Nigerian Government Issues Early Warning Floods Forecast

The Nigerian government has warned that 178 Local Government Areas in 32 States and the Federal Capital Territory fall among highly probable flood-risk areas for 2023.

Nigeria’s Minister of Water Resources, Mr Suleiman Adamu gave these warnings, following predictions by the Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency (NIHSA), at the official unveiling of the 2023 Annual Flood Outlook (AFO), in Abuja the nation’s capital.

According to him, the forecasts for the 2023 AFO, showed that 178 LGAs in thirty-two states of the federation, and the FCT, fall within the highly probable flood risk areas, and 224 LGAs in 35  states of the federation, including the FCT fall within the moderately probable flood risk areas, while, the remaining 402 LGAs fall within the probable Ffood risk areas.

According to him “the highly probable flood risk states are Adamawa, Abia, Akwa Ibom, Anambra, Bauchi, Bayelsa, Benue, Cross-River, Delta, Ebonyi, Ekiti, Edo, Gombe, Imo, Jigawa, Kaduna, Kano, Kebbi, Kogi, Kwara, Lagos, Nasarawa, Niger, Ogun, Ondo, Osun, Oyo, Rivers, Sokoto, Taraba, Yobe, Zamfara and the FCT”.

He said that the level of flood in highly probable flood-risk states is expected to be high in terms of impact on the population, agriculture, livelihood, livestock, infrastructure and the environment between April and November.

Flash floods

Adamu also noted that Bayelsa, Cross River, Delta, Edo, Lagos, Ogun, Rivers and Ondo States would be experiencing coastal flooding, due to the rise in sea level and tidal surge, which would impact fishing, wildlife habitation and river navigation.

“The flash and urban flood will be experienced in urban city centres across cities of Lagos, Kaduna, Suleja, Gombe, Yola, Makurdi, Abuja, Lafia, Asaba, Port Harcourt, Yenagoa, Ibadan, Abeokuta, Benin City, Bimin- Kebbi, Sokoto, Lakoja, Maiduguri, Kano, Oshogbo, Ado-Ekiti, Abakaliki, Awka, Nsukka, Calabar, Owerri”. 

He, therefore, called on all stakeholders, policymakers and agencies to rise up with the appropriate mechanism to curtail the impending floods.

The Permanent Secretary, Didi Walson- Jack, lamented the negative impacts of floods and other disasters in Nigeria.

He said that flooding would be drastically reduced if a better understanding of flood risks are promoted and adequate and appropriate mitigating measures are deployed.

Preemptive measures

The Director-General, of Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency (NIHSA), Mr Clement Nze, emphasized the need for farmers, policymakers and Nigerians, to use the information provided for preventive measures.

Nze stressed that the objective of the AFO was to prepare the nation to avert the negative impact of floods, and come up with pre-emptive measures to get it right before the rains start.

“We have been working round the clock to come up with actionable solutions, we have been given 90 days. This is the first time we are having this in February, believing this year that the sub-nationals at this time will be able to do something, There’s enough time now to work, and we have taken some steps to ensure that we improve on that of 2022. This year we are introducing a new dimension.

“From June, every five days we will be giving out predictions, tell you what will happen, it will be broken into pieces and segments, we expect that at the end of the day, all the agencies will come together and speak with one voice,” Nze said.

The theme of the 2023 Annual Flood Outlook is ‘Flood Prediction and its impact on Soco- Economic Livelihood’.

Emmanuel Ukoh