The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has initiated contacts with identified state governments as well as relevant stakeholders ahead of highly probable flood disaster that may occur due to the rising water levels in communities bordering River Niger and Benue.
This is in addition to the on-going intervention in states that are already impacted by flooding.
According to a statement issued by NEMA, the Director General of NEMA, Mrs Zubaida Umar, while alerting the states on high possibilities of the flood disaster, has also activated the agency’s operation offices, deployed technical staff and prepositioned critical equipment for timely response, search and rescue as well as evacuation to safer higher grounds.
Recall that the Nigerian Hydrological Services Agency (NIHSA) recently issued information that Cameroonian authorities have commenced intermittent release of excess water from Lagdo Dam, which in addition to the high rainfalls in Nigeria have led to the rising water levels in Rivers Benue and Niger.
The observed water level as at Monday 23rd September 2024, in River Benue at Adamawa State has reached the highest warning point at 8.7 metres, while the level in Makurdi has entered the red alert at 9.63 metres.
The situation in Lokoja, Kogi State is also alarming as the water level has reached 8.89 metres with flooding already recorded upstream in Kebbi State.
Reports from NEMA, Minna operations office, indicated the onset of flood disaster along riverine communities in Niger State with human displacement and damage to infrastructure.
The statement said damage and loss assessment is already on-going.
The frontline states identified to be at risk of the flooding are Adamawa, Taraba, Benue, Nasarawa, Kogi, Edo, Delta, Anambra, Bayelsa, Cross River, Rivers and Kwara.
With the activation and deployment, NEMA operation offices and technical officers will work with the relevant State Ministries, Departments and Agencies in order to establish Emergency Operation Centres (EOCs) for coordination and activation of local actors for the emergency response.
These will include advocacies to communities at risk, evacuation planning, identification of high safe ground for temporary shelters and prepositioning of equipment for evacuation and rescue.
Sector leads have also been alerted to provide priority needs to the impacted persons in the event of displacement of persons to Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camps and other safer locations.
Furthermore, NEMA is coordinating with the Military, Nigeria Police and Nigerian Security and Civil Defense Corp (NSCDC) to deploy their disaster response personnel, Police, Marine and Disaster Management Units operatives respectively where necessary, and the Nigerian Red Cross Society to also activate volunteers.
The Director General NEMA urged residents in flood-prone areas, especially communities along Rivers Benue and Niger to remain vigilant and cooperate with emergency service providers as the agency continues to monitor the situation closely.
The statement urged citizens to refer to http://www.nema.gov.ng for continuous updates as the situation evolves.
