Serving senators under the aegis of the Northern Senators’ Forum have called for an urgent and permanent solution to the recurring flooding in Shiroro Local Government Area of Niger State, warning that continued reliance onl emergency relief will not stop the loss of lives and livelihoods.

In a statement issued on Wednesday, Chairman of the forum and Senator representing Katsina Central, Abdulaziz Musa Yar’Adua, said the Federal and Niger State governments must move beyond temporary interventions and develop a comprehensive strategy to tackle the persistent flooding in Shiroro and other downstream communities.

The senators specifically demanded the development and implementation of a Shiroro Flood Management Master Plan, which they said should provide a coordinated and scientifically driven framework for managing flood risks in the area.

According to them, the master plan should include a scientifically determined flood-buffer operating strategy for the Shiroro, Kainji and Jebba dams, as well as a permanent flood-forecasting and early-warning system supported by trained local volunteers in downstream communities.

They also called for a comprehensive floodplain resettlement programme that would provide planned settlements, adequate compensation and sustainable livelihood support for residents whose communities are exposed to recurring flooding.

The lawmakers further demanded an independent technical review of dam operations, reservoir capacity and spillway performance, taking into account current climate realities, to determine how future water releases can be better managed and their impact on downstream communities minimised.

While commending the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) for its intervention and provision of relief materials to flood victims, the senators expressed concern that flooding has become an increasingly recurring disaster in Shiroro and other riverine communities.

They said emergency relief alone could not provide a lasting solution to a problem that has repeatedly destroyed homes, farms, businesses and livelihoods.

The forum urged the Federal and state governments, in collaboration with local authorities, to immediately intensify short-term measures ahead of the peak of the rainy season.

They called for the timely distribution of relief materials to verified victims, provision of temporary shelters equipped with basic healthcare and sanitation facilities, and deployment of emergency evacuation and early-warning teams across flood-prone communities.

The senators also urged relevant authorities to intensify public sensitisation, particularly on the need for residents to heed safety warnings and avoid constructing homes and other structures on waterways and natural drainage channels.

They recalled the 2025 Mokwa flood tragedy and cited a 2025 vulnerability study which reportedly found that 32 per cent of Shiroro LGA is highly prone to flooding, warning that failure to act decisively would continue to exact a devastating toll.

“Short-term measures must therefore be activated immediately,” the senators said, stressing that communities at risk must not be left to face another cycle of preventable disaster.

The Northern Senators’ Forum commiserated with families who lost loved ones and expressed solidarity with residents who have lost homes, farms, businesses and sources of livelihood to the flooding.

The lawmakers insisted that the recurring crisis requires a long-term, science-based and coordinated intervention, rather than a cycle of flooding followed by emergency relief.

They urged governments at all levels to treat flood management as a national development and public-safety priority and to begin implementing permanent protective measures before the next major disaster strikes.