THE Federal Government has issued an urgent warning about the potential flooding of the Niger and Benue rivers.
The minister of Water Resources and Sanitation, Joseph Utsev, raised the alarm in Abuja on Friday, September 13, at a press briefing regarding the flooding situation in Maiduguri, Borno State.
He attributed the possibility to a large volume of water flowing through these rivers towards the Niger Delta region.
He further urged for heightened vigilance across all sectors and proactive steps to mitigate potential future flooding incidents in the southern regions of the country.
He explained that the recent flooding in Maiduguri and Jere was primarily caused by the overflow of the Alau Dam, due to a massive inflow from the Ngadda River, a tributary of the River Yedzaram.
“This flood disaster that affected the Maiduguri and Jere areas of Borno State was largely due to the overflow of water from the Alau Dam, located about 10 kilometres from Maiduguri city centre, caused by the massive inflow from the Ngadda River, a major tributary of the River Yedzaram,” the minister said.
The flood crisis in Maiduguri has left residents of the northeast state panicking and The ICIR earlier reported that the Maiduguri zoo, popularly referred to as Sanda Kyarimi Park located in the city centre was overtaken by water and animals released have caused fear among the residents.
The ICIR reports that this was despite the alert raised by Nigerian Meteorological Agency, Nimet and the National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA, with flooding wreaking havoc in some states, with many houses, farmlands submerged and crops destroyed.
Drawing the attention of the public to the impending flood disaster along the Rivers Benue and Niger, the minister said“As we mourn the losses in Borno, Yobe, Jigawa, Bauchi, and other states affected by flooding, the attention of Nigerians is hereby drawn to the potential river flooding of the Rivers Niger and Benue, as well as some of their tributaries.
“The daily flow on these rivers indicates a significant increase in water levels, nearing red alert. This warning signifies that a large volume of water is moving through our rivers towards the delta region.”
He further stated that the Presidential Committee on the Development of a Strategic Plan for Preventing Flood Disasters in Nigeria, had submitted its report, outlining 10 strategic areas to address the issue of annual flooding, along with necessary interventions for actions before, during, and after flooding periods.
He also noted that the President had approved ₦108 billion for all 36 states to address the recurring flood challenges.
“This report recommended 10 strategic areas to address the menace of annual flooding in Nigeria, alongside relevant interventions that consider required activities before, during, and after flooding periods.
“These include responsible agencies, expected outcomes, timelines, and indicative costs. Mr President, as part of the recommendations, has graciously approved the sum of ₦108 billion for all 36 states to tackle perennial flooding in the country.
“As we strive to recover from this tragedy, I urge all governments at the sub-national level and stakeholders to heed the flood early warning information from the Ministry and take proactive measures to prevent future flooding, as well as to activate response measures to alleviate the suffering of citizens affected by floods,” the minister said.
Meanwhile, no fewer than 259 people have lost their lives, and more than 600,000 others have been displaced by severe floods across Nigeria in 2024.
According to NEMA, the widespread flooding has affected multiple states, with farmlands, homes, leaving many communities in crisis.
Usman Mustapha is a solution journalist with International Centre for Investigative Reporting. You can easily reach him via: umustapha@icirnigeria.com. He tweets @UsmanMustapha_M