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Kaduna River divers vigilant, receive life jackets donation as state government reaffirms commitment to protecting life and property through coordinated sensitization programmes and disaster response initiatives
From Noah Ebije, Kaduna
For the men who dive where others fear to look, every rainy season is a race against time as well as against death. As dark clouds gather over Kaduna State and the annual rains begin to swell the Kaduna River, a familiar anxiety returns to communities living along its banks.
For decades, the river has been both a blessing and a tragedy. It provides water, supports livelihoods and defines parts of Kaduna’s landscape. But, every rainy season, it transforms into a dangerous force, swallowing roads, destroying homes and, too often, claiming lives.
Long before emergency agencies arrive, there is usually another group already in the water. Barefoot, armed with little more than courage and experience, local divers plunge into the muddy currents searching for missing persons, rescuing stranded residents and recovering victims swept away by the floodwaters.
Their silent sacrifice received rare recognition recently. On the banks of Kaduna River, the Women Wing leader of the Peace Revival and Reconciliation Foundation of Nigeria (PRRFN), Hajiya Ramatu Tijjani, distributed life jackets to local divers and volunteer rescuers as part of efforts to prepare them for another challenging flood season.
The donation may appear simple, but for the divers, it could mean the difference between returning home safely after a rescue operation or becoming victims themselves.
“This is about protecting those who protect others,” Hajiya Ramatu said while handing over the safety equipment at the riverbank.
She described the divers as unsung heroes whose commitment has saved countless lives during floods and water-related emergencies across Kaduna State.
According to her, their work extends beyond flood rescue. She revealed that the divers have also intervened in several cases involving people attempting suicide by jumping into the river, often linked to economic hardship and mental health challenges.
“They deserve national honour because of the important role they play in saving lives,” she said.
She appealed to wealthy individuals, corporate organisations and humanitarian groups to support the volunteer rescuers with additional life jackets, ropes, rescue boats and other emergency equipment.
The philanthropist also announced plans to extend similar support to divers operating around Zaria as part of broader efforts to strengthen community-based emergency response across Kaduna State.
The Kaduna River has shaped the history of the state for generations. Flowing through Kaduna metropolis before joining the Niger River, it has repeatedly overflowed its banks during periods of heavy rainfall, particularly when intense downpours coincide with releases from upstream water bodies.
Communities such as Kabala Costain, Unguwan Rimi, Kigo Road, Kudenda, parts of Kakuri and several settlements around the river have experienced flooding at different times over the years.
Major floods have displaced thousands of residents, submerged homes and damaged roads, bridges and farmlands.
In recent years, changing weather patterns linked to climate change have made flooding increasingly unpredictable, with experts warning that heavier rainfall events are becoming more frequent across Nigeria.
The situation often leaves local communities relying on volunteer divers before formal rescue agencies can fully mobilise.
Despite the dangers they face, many of the divers have continued their work without basic protective equipment. Most rely on personal swimming skills acquired from childhood and years of navigating the river.
When floods occur, they respond immediately; often diving repeatedly into fast-moving water where visibility is almost zero. For many of them, every rescue operation is a gamble with death.
Receiving the life jackets, therefore, brought both relief and renewed hope. Speaking on behalf of the divers, Mallam Dattijo Gada, expressed gratitude to Hajiya Ramatu Tijjani for recognising their sacrifices.
He prayed for God’s blessings upon the philanthropist and said the donation would significantly improve their safety while carrying out rescue operations. He noted that dozens of divers working around the Kaduna Bridge still lack life jackets and urgently require more protective equipment.
According to him, additional support would enable the team to respond more effectively whenever flood emergencies occur.
“Our work is to save lives, we have rescued many people who accidentally fell into the river, and during floods we are usually among the first responders,” Gada said.
Emergency management experts have repeatedly warned that communities located near rivers across Nigeria remain increasingly vulnerable as rainfall patterns become more intense.
Each year, authorities encourage residents in flood-prone areas to relocate temporarily whenever flood alerts are issued. Yet despite government interventions, local volunteers continue to provide the first line of response in many communities.
Their knowledge of the river’s currents, hidden channels and dangerous depths often proves invaluable during rescue missions.
The event was more than the distribution of safety equipment because for many observers, it represented long-overdue recognition of ordinary citizens who quietly risk everything for complete strangers.
As another rainy season unfolds, the Kaduna River will likely continue its age-old cycle, nourishing communities one moment and threatening them the next.
But along its banks, where floodwaters often turn panic into tragedy, a group of determined divers now stand slightly better prepared.
Wearing newly donated life jackets instead of relying solely on courage, they remain ready to answer the call whenever the river rises, because when the flood comes, they know the first life they save may depend on protecting their own.
Also, over the years, the Nigerian Red Cross Society has remained one of the leading humanitarian organisations responding to flood disasters in Kaduna State and across Nigeria. Whenever the Kaduna River bursts its banks, Red Cross volunteers are often deployed alongside officials of the National Emergency Management Agency and the Kaduna State Emergency Management Agency to evacuate vulnerable residents, administer first aid, reunite separated families and distribute relief materials to displaced persons.
Their intervention has become particularly critical following devastating floods recorded in recent years, when hundreds of households were forced from their homes by rising water levels.
However, beyond emergency rescue, the organisation regularly conducts community sensitization campaigns on flood preparedness, early warning systems and safe evacuation procedures in vulnerable communities along the Kaduna River.
Humanitarian experts said the work of volunteer divers complements these formal emergency efforts. While agencies coordinate large-scale rescue operations and relief, local divers are usually the first to respond because they understand the river’s currents, hidden channels and dangerous depths better than anyone else.
It is this partnership between trained humanitarian organisations and community volunteers that has helped save countless lives over the years.
As climate change continues to increase the frequency and intensity of flooding across Nigeria, experts believe strengthening both institutional emergency response and grassroots rescue capacity will be essential to reducing future flood-related deaths.
As flooding looms in Kaduna, it is believed that the donated life jackets are part of a wider network of flood preparedness involving both professional humanitarian responders and the community divers who are often the first to enter the water.
Meanwhile, Kaduna State Government has intensified efforts to raise public awareness and strengthen emergency preparedness following the 2026 seasonal climate prediction released by the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet), which identified Kaduna as one of the states vulnerable to flooding due to expected above-normal rainfall during the 2026 rainy season.
According to the state Commissioner for Information and Culture, Ahmed Maiyaki, the government has reaffirmed its commitment to protecting lives and property through coordinated sensitization programmes and disaster response initiatives across the state.
The NiMet forecast indicates that rainfall in Kaduna State is expected to begin between May 19 and June 10, 2026, while the rainy season is projected to end between October 5 and October 21, 2026.
The forecast also warned of a possible severe 21-day dry spell between June and August, a condition that could further increase the risk of flooding and other environmental challenges.
Maiyaki stated that the government is treating it with utmost seriousness, emphasising that early preparedness and public cooperation are essential in minimising the impact of flooding on communities.
He explained that the Ministry of Information and Culture, in partnership with the Kaduna State Emergency Management Agency (KADSEMA), has launched a statewide awareness campaign aimed at educating residents on flood prevention, mitigation, and safety measures.
Residents were advised to regularly clear drainage channels around their homes and business premises, avoid dumping refuse into waterways, and adopt preventive measures such as the use of sandbags and other local flood-control solutions.
Maiyaki added that the state government will continue working closely with relevant agencies and communities to ensure effective disaster risk reduction and the timely dissemination of information throughout the rainy season.
