For years, residents of Muye and Amana Kakanda communities in Lapai Local Council of Niger State have watched floods destroy their farms, economic trees and homes, leaving many families counting their losses year after year.

The situation has also affected more than 30 neighbouring farming communities that depend largely on agriculture for their livelihoods.

Worried that the recurring floods could continue to devastate the communities, the Village Head of Muye and Amana Kakanda, Alhaji Salihu Mohammad, has appealed to the Federal Government to provide additional funding to the National Hydro-Electric Power Producing Areas Development Commission (N-HYPPADEC) to accelerate the construction of a flood-control embankment in the area.

Mohammad made the appeal during an inspection of the ongoing embankment project being undertaken by N-HYPPADEC, where he expressed concern over the impact of flooding on the communities.

He said the slow pace of construction had become a source of concern, stressing that the timely completion of the project would provide relief to residents and protect their livelihoods.

“Year in, year out, our people and more than 30 adjoining communities continue to suffer huge losses as a result of flooding.

“Farmlands, economic trees and houses are destroyed whenever the flood comes,” he said.

The traditional ruler commended N-HYPPADEC for intervening in the area but urged the Federal Government to increase funding to the commission so that the project could be completed on schedule.

“I want to use this opportunity to appreciate the management of N-HYPPADEC for the intervention.

“I am urging the Federal Government to support the commission with more funds to enable it to deliver the project in good time,” he appealed.

Earlier, the Managing Director of N-HYPPADEC, Abubakar Yelwa, who led the management team on the inspection tour, expressed satisfaction with the quality of work executed so far.

Yelwa, who was represented by the Director of Finance and Administration, Haruna Gabi, said the inspection was aimed at assessing the progress of the project and ensuring that construction was being carried out according to approved specifications.

He said the contractor remained active at the site, while the consultant was monitoring the work to ensure compliance with required standards and prevent any deviation from the approved design.

Yelwa recalled that some community members had initially expressed concerns about the project because two previous attempts to construct an embankment in the area had failed.

He, however, assured the residents that N-HYPPADEC had the experience and capacity to successfully execute the project, adding that measures had been put in place to ensure its timely completion.

According to him, the project had been prioritised by the commission, with the contractor expected to adhere strictly to the approved specifications.

He disclosed that the project had a total contract value of N700 million and that the contractor had been adequately mobilised to prevent unnecessary delays or requests for variations.

“The contractor is really doing a good job and is working according to schedule. There is no need for any variation,” Yelwa said.

Also speaking, the member representing Agaie/Lapai Federal Constituency in the National Assembly, Abdullahi Mahmud, commended N-HYPPADEC for intervening in the flood-prone communities.

Mahmud urged his constituents to remain patient and appreciate the efforts of the Federal Government and N-HYPPADEC towards completing the project.

He noted that similar demands for flood-control infrastructure were coming from different parts of the country, stressing that communities needed to exercise patience as the government address the challenges within available resources.

The contractor handling the project, represented by the site engineer, said the construction had earlier encountered some technical challenges but that they had been resolved.

The engineer assured N-HYPPADEC and the community that the contractor would deliver the embankment in line with the approved standards and specifications for the benefit of the affected communities.