Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has urged the Federal Government to, as a matter of urgency, take steps to avert recurrence of severe flooding in the country, following the devastating flood disaster in Mokwa town in Niger State

The congress recommended a periodic structural audit and maintenance of existing dams in the country, while the construction of the proposed twin catchment dams in Dasin village, Fufore, Adamawa State, must be lifted from the drawing table to the construction site.

The NLC statement, signed by its Acting President, Audu Amba, urged governments at all levels to improve on natural disaster risk forecasting, warning, and evacuation processes.

According to the statement, the occupational safety and health procedures in public and private workplaces and business spaces must be improved to enable workers and citizens to overcome relocation inertia before or after natural disasters strike.

It said while necessary lessons might have been learned from the Mokwa flood disaster to prevent a recurrence, the biggest lesson to learn was that climate change was here, and everyone had a role to play in mitigating its source, adapting to its impact, and building necessary resilience for survival.

While conveying its sympathy and solidarity to the governor and people of Niger State, especially, the Mokwa people, the statement said the high frequency of flooding and other natural disasters reminded all of the seriousness of the climate change crisis.

It stated that it was unfortunate that when disasters, like the Mokwa flooding happen, it is the poor people and workers that are on the frontline of the impact.

According to the statement, this is because climate change is a workplace reality as workers and their communities are in the direct line of fire when climate impacts hit.

It said since Mokwa was situated in a flood-prone location, extra measures should be put in place to channel rainwater and occasional discharges from nearby dams into surrounding water bodies to minimise devastation to human lives, the built-up environment, and properties.

MEANWHILE, Senator Mohammed Ali Ndume (APC, Borno South) has called on the Federal Government, particularly the Ministry of Water Resources, to expedite the reconstruction of the collapsed Alau Dam, located between Konduga and Jere Local Government Areas of Borno State.

The Senator’s appeal followed concerns over the slow pace of work on the N80 billion dam project, which commenced in March 2025 after a groundbreaking ceremony.

The reconstruction was initiated in response to the devastating flood that struck Maiduguri and its environs on September 10, 2024, claiming multiple lives and submerging properties worth billions of naira.

Our correspondent observed that despite the approval and official launch, progress on-site remains slow, prompting increasing anxiety among residents and stakeholders as the 2025 rainy season begins.

In an interview with newsmen on, yesterday, Senator Ndume stressed the urgency of completing the project in light of climate-related predictions from the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) and the Nigerian Hydrological Services Agency (NIHSA), which have warned of potential flooding across several states, including Borno.