Flooding in Niger claims 11 lives, impacts 529 communities

The Director General of the Niger State Emergency Management Agency (NSEMA), Abdullahi Baba Arah, yesterday confirmed that 11 people had lost their lives this year in Niger State due to flooding.

Arah, who disclosed this in a statement, said five people died in Mokwa, two each died in Shiroro and Munya, and one each died in Katcha and Rijau Local Council of the state. He explained that during the period under review, 529 communities in 19 of the 25 local councils in the state were affected by the flood disaster.

The councils, he said, include Mokwa, Katcha, Lavun, Lapai, Agaie, Shiroro, Munya, Gbako, Kontagora, Bosso, Edati, Agwara, Magama, Bida, Mashegu, Borgu, Gurara, Suleja, and Rijau.

According to him, 41,192 people and 6,865 households in these councils have so far been affected by this year’s flood. Arah also hinted that 246 school infrastructures were washed away, creating accommodation problems for pupils, students, and their teachers.

He noted that, as of September this year, 18 bridges and 80 culverts had been destroyed by floods, causing communication problems for people in the affected areas.

The NSEMA boss revealed that the entire state may face severe food shortages because the flood affected 118,692 hectares of farmland, some of which had crops ready for harvest, while about 1,600 fish ponds were also washed away.

He further stated that 34 communities were also displaced and are now in Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps created by the Niger State government, with most of them staying in neighbouring communities.

He, however, disclosed that the Niger State government has approved the immediate procurement of food and non-food items, adding that NSEMA has reached out to stakeholders, donor institutions, and international partners for interventions in the affected communities.