By Henry Uche
A risk professional, Mr Chibueze Johnson, has urged government across the board to proactively respond to the impeding doom from floods that would befall some states in the year as foreseen by the Ministry of Water Resources and Sanitation.
Johnson in a telephone interview with Daily Sun said flooding in Nigeria and its consequences on the socioeconomic life of the citizens have remained a perennial challenge and that the government should be proactive, not reactive in managing the annual disaster.
He stressed that flooding requires early planning and putting in place mechanisms and machinery to avert its consequential effects. “The yearly recurrence of flooding suggests a lack of proactive measures in place, which means most governors may not be prepared for another eventuality. Governors should prioritize preparedness and mitigation strategies if they must avert doom coming from the floods.
“This includes but is not limited to allocating sufficient resources to disaster management agencies, implementing early warning systems, and developing robust evacuation plans for vulnerable communities. Investment in Infrastructure, adequate resource allocation and community engagements.
Recently, the Minister of Water Resources and Sanitation, Professor Joseph Terlumun Utsev, warned that 148 Local Government Areas (LGAs) in 31 states fell among highly probable flood risk areas for 2024. Simply put, 249 LGAs in 36 states including FCT fell within the moderate flood risk states.
The Minister, who stated this at the unveiling of the 2024 Annual Flood Outlook presented by the Nigeria Hydrological Service Agency, in Abuja recently, revealed that the high-risk states include: Adamawa, Akwa-Ibom, Anambra, Bauchi, Bayelsa, Venue, Borno, Cross River, Delta, Ebonyi, Edo, Imo, Jigawa, Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Kebbi, Kogi, Kwara, Lagos, Nasawara, Niger, Ogun, Ondo, Osun, Oyo, Plateau, Rivers, Sokoto, Taraba and Yobe.
Prof Utsev added that Bayelsa, Cross River, Delta, Lagos, Ogun, Rivers and Ondo are expected to experience coastal flooding due to the rise in sea levels while flash and urban flooding will be experienced in urban cities across the country.
With this prediction, citizens to be affected are not sleeping with two eyes closed having envisaged the catastrophe this would cause to lives and properties.
The fear of many Nigerians is not the alarm raised, but the government’s lackadaisical and reactive attitude towards issues of critical magnitude.
“On the Insurance Companies (operators), they should be able to conduct thorough risk assessments to identify areas prone to flooding and evaluate the potential impact on insured properties. They are expected to develop risk management strategies, such as offering flood insurance coverage and implementing premium adjustments based on flood risk levels. Supporting local communities through corporate social responsibility initiatives, such as providing aid and resources during emergencies are expected from them”
The risk management expert however alerted Nigerians, especially individuals living in red-flagged areas to stay informed about weather forecasts and heed evacuation warnings issued by relevant authorities; as well as prepare emergency kits and develop family evacuation plans.
He advised that people should purchase flood insurance coverage to protect against financial losses resulting from flood-related damages to property and possessions. “We should safeguard our personal belongings and property by elevating valuables or relocating them to higher ground, and pick insurance cover.
For the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) he added “They should be able to provide technical assistance and support to state governments in disaster preparedness and response. They should coordinate search and rescue operations during emergencies, distribute relief materials and coordinate humanitarian assistance efforts across affected areas,” he implored.