National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has organised a community-based sensitisation on implications of impending flood in Niger State.
The event held at Maikunkele community, in Bosso Local Council.
Head, NEMA Minna Operations Office, Hajiya Zainab Sai’du, said the purpose was to alert the communities of imminent flood and to help them make informed decisions ahead.
Sai’du, who was represented by Dr. Zainab Ndanusa, Head, Disaster Risk Reduction Unit, said the yearly flood outlook by Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) and Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency (NIHSA) placed Niger on red alert.
“This is because Niger has been identified as being among highly probable flood risk states. The implication of this is, there will be huge flood expected in the state.
“This sensitisation is for people to take early measures against impending flood, which causes pain, untold hardship to many people, destroys lives, livelihoods and people’s wealth, such as farmlands,” she said.
Sai’du noted that the sensitisation was also to brainstorm with members of flood-prone communities and come up with measures to prevent and reduce losses and negative impact of the flood.
District Head of Maikunkele, Abdullahi Dada, appreciated the agency’s continuous support to the communities through early warnings.
In his remarks, Yahaya Gbongbo, the state Director of National Orientation Agency (NOA), advised members of communities to resolve issues affecting them in a peaceful manner, adding that the mandate of the agency is preaching peaceful coexistence.
In her presentation, titled ‘A call for a community-based flood risk reduction against 2023 impending flood’, Ndanusa said the deluge would affect urban and rural dwellers residing along riverbanks, adding that the flood is predicted to occur from August to October.
She said it was expedient for traditional and religious leaders across the state to key into risk reduction approach to mitigate the danger ahead.
She added: “NEMA, in Minna, calls on these community leaders to identify drainages and culverts that are blocked and clear them and sensitise people who built on flood plains and those living on river banks to relocate to safer and higher places.”
