Nigeria’s National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) is taking proactive measures to prevent flood disasters by deploying a team to monitor Rivers Benue and River Niger.
This move follows the release of water from the Lagdo Dam in Cameroon, which poses a significant flood risk to surrounding areas.
According to NEMA spokesperson Manzo Ezekiel, the agency is working closely with state governments and stakeholders to mitigate potential damage.
“We are monitoring the water level along the River Benue, and the Director General of NEMA, Mrs Zubaida Umar, has already deployed staff to the states along the river bank, so we are monitoring the situation as it is at all the river system. Our monitoring system is on River Benue and River Niger.
“The staff are there monitoring the situation, and relating with the people in communities along these river belts, to be careful. The water has been rising, but we are still monitoring the situation. It’s better to be prepared than to be taken unawares.”
Ezekiel stated that some communities had already been affected by the water released from the Lagdo Dam.
“Since the release of the water, we have seen how some communities were affected along the river in Adamawa and Taraba.
“This year, the level of monitoring and awareness of the flood system is higher than what it used to be in the previous year,” he noted.
The Federal Government has issued a warning about the possibility of heavy rainfall over a period of five days, which could potentially result in flooding across 15 states.
The flood forecast, released by the National Flood Early Warning Systems Centre of the Federal Ministry of Environment, highlights the need for all concerned parties to be vigilant.
According to the center’s report, specific locations in these states and their surrounding areas are at risk of experiencing intense rainfall that might trigger flooding from September 29 to October 3, 2024.
The states and places likely to be affected include Akwa Ibom State (Oron, Edor, Eket, Upenekang); Adamawa State (Numan, Abba Kumbo, Farkumo, Jimeta, Wuro-Bokki); Bauchi State (Kafin-madaki, Bauchi); Bayelsa State (Sengana, Brass); Kebbi State (Argungu, Gwandu); Kaduna State (Buruku); Katsina State (Bakori, Funtua, Jibia), among others.
This advisory serves as a crucial reminder for residents, local authorities, and emergency responders to stay alert and prepared for potential flooding in these regions.
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