A fresh flood disaster may be unfolding across Nigeria as the Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency (NIHSA) has placed 27 states on high alert, warning residents in flood-prone communities to immediately move to safer ground before rising waters wreak havoc.
Director-General and Chief Executive Officer of NIHSA, Umar Ibrahim Mohammed, issued the warning on Thursday, saying the agency’s latest hydrological forecast indicates a high flood risk between July 30 and August 5 following a sharp rise in river levels nationwide.
He disclosed that 53 major river monitoring stations are under serious threat, with critical flashpoints, including Katsina-Ala River, Aye River at Itoikin, and the River Niger at Onitsha, already under close surveillance.
According to him, Niger, Kaduna, Kwara, Delta, Kogi, and Edo are among the states expected to face severe flooding, while 21 others are also at risk.
Mohammed warned that homes, schools, hospitals, markets, worship centres, and thousands of hectares of farmland could be submerged unless urgent preventive measures are taken.
He called on state governments, local councils, the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), State Emergency Management Agencies (SEMAs), traditional rulers, and community leaders to immediately activate emergency response plans.
The NIHSA boss urged residents of vulnerable communities to relocate to higher ground where necessary, monitor official flood advisories, stock emergency supplies, prepare evacuation shelters, clear blocked drainage channels, and stay away from flooded roads and fast-flowing rivers.
“Early warning and collective preparedness remain our strongest weapons against flooding,” he said, assuring Nigerians that NIHSA will continue to monitor river conditions across the country and issue timely forecasts to protect lives and property.
(The Sun)