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From Charity Nwakaudu, Abuja
The Minister of Water Resource, Engr. Suleiman Adamu has warned Nigerians to get prepared as 233 local government areas in 32 states including the Federal Capital Territory would experience heavy flooding this year.
The Minister gave this warning at the official unveiling of the 2022 Annual Flood Outlook (AFO), titled ‘ flood management and food security’ held in Abuja,on Thursday.
Adamu added that flash and urban flooding would be experienced in urban city centres across the country.
He said:” the breakdown of the 2022 AFO shows that 233 local Government Areas in 32 states of the Federation and FCT fall within the highly probable risk areas, while 212 Local government areas in 35 states including FCT fall within the moderately flood risk areas.
“The highly probably flood risk states are: Adamawa, Abia, Akwa Ibom, Anambra, Bauchi and Bayelsa, Benue, cross Rivers, Delta , Ebonyi ,Ekiti, Edo , Gombe , Imo , jigawa, Kaduna and kano, Kebbi, Kogi, Kwara, Lagos, Nasarawa, Niger, Ogun, Ondo, Oyo, Rivers, Sokoto, Taraba, Yobe, Zamfara and the FCT.
The Minister further added, according to AFO, between the month of April, May and June moderate impact of floods are expected in parts of 45 local government areas, while 140 LGAs will experience flood in July, August and September. The prediction says In the month of October, November and December, 54 local government areas in the country are also at risk of floods.
“The summary of the year’s AFO predicts coastal flooding for Rivers, Bayelsa, Cross River, Delta Edo, Lagos, Ogun and Ondo.
“Flash and urban flood are expected in uban cities centres across the country. Parts of these cities are Lagos, Kaduna, Suleja, Gombe, Yola, Makurdi, Asaba, Abuja, Yola, Port Harcourt, Yenagoa, are expected to experience flash and urban flooding in 2022.
Ibadan, Abeokuta, Benin City, Birnin-Kebbi, Sokoto, Lokoja, Maiduguri, Kano, Oshogbo, Ado Ekiti, Abakaliki, Akwa, Nsukka, Calabar and Owerri .”
The Minister, therefore called on all stakeholders, policy makers and agencies to rise up with appropriate mechanism on how to curtail impending floods.
The Director-General, Nigeria Hydrological services Agency (NIHSA), Engr. Clement Nze in his welcome address emphasized on the need for farmers, policy makers to use the information provided for preventive measures.
Nze added that AFO is to prepare the nation to avert the negative impact of floods . What we are doing is veer into nature to predict what would happen.
In his good will message the Minister of the Federal capital Territory, Mohammed Musa Bello charge developers against violation of extant guidelines to avert flood and allow for easy passage of water.
Represented by Shehu Ahmed , the minister said dumping of waste in manhole, and drainages aggravate flood in urban areas.
