Bauchi moves to tackle flood

The Bauchi State Government has taken measures to combat the menace of flooding in the state ahead of the forthcoming rainy season.

The State Commissioner for Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management, Hajiya Hajara Wanka, said this on Wednesday, at a stakeholders’ engagement meeting on flood disaster sustainable management strategy.

The meeting was themed, ‘Building Resilience and Collaborative Solutions for Flood-Affected Communities.’’

Wanka said the theme was a call to action for all stakeholders to craft strategies that are proactive and preventive.

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She said the meeting would chart ways for effective flood prevention and mitigation measures, as well as evacuation techniques where necessary.

“This town hall meeting represents a key step in our collective journey toward building resilient communities, mitigating risks, enhancing preparedness, and ensuring effective response and recovery in the face of flood.

“Flooding is one of the most recurrent and devastating natural disasters affecting our communities and Bauchi State was the second most hit state in Nigeria after Borno in 2024.

“Many lives were lost, livelihoods destroyed, and significant challenges were posed to our socio-economic development as a result of the flood in 2024.

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“However, today’s engagement is not just about acknowledging the challenges; it is about forging a path forward. A path that prioritises sustainability, collaboration and community-driven solutions,” she said.

Similarly, Mr Adamu Neyola, Director, Relief and Rehabilitation, Bauchi State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), said that 16 Local Government Areas in the state were affected by flood in 2024.

Neyola said the stakeholders’ meeting would identify areas that were not captured during the assessment.

“We are also here to hear the depth, density and severity of flood disasters that happened in those areas and chart a way forward.

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“This will help us to mitigate, restore, and at least recover from what we lost last year.

“This disaster affects the community people, and they are the ones that know what is happening, like the causes and impacts of this flood disaster in their areas.

“Here, they are to bring out their coping capabilities. Are they doing things that will prevent them from flooding and come up with solutions by themselves,’’ Neyola said.

Mr Ibrahim Bashir, Bauchi State Coordinator of the North-East Development Commission (NEDC), assured that the commission was committed to addressing disasters in the region.