THE Nigerian government has said over 500 people have died as a result of flooding cross the country.
Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development Nasir Sani-Gwarzo, who disclosed this on Tuesday, also said about 1.4 million others were affected by flood incidents in different parts of Nigeria.
“Over 500 people are reported dead. 1,411,051 persons have been affected. The displaced persons that have moved out of their locations are up to 790,254. About 1,546 persons that were displaced are injured,” he said.
Sani-Gwarzo also noted that 31 states and the FCT were affected by flood incidents that damaged almost 90 thousand houses.
He also predicted that more communities might be affected by floods, adding that the states have been informed ahead of time.
The Permanent Secretary noted that beyond predictions, immediate, long and short-term measures were being put in place to reduce impact and address future occurrences.
“Fortunately for us, the National Flood Emergency Preparedness and Response Plan for Nigeria has just been approved by the Federal Executive Council, and it contains all the details of the roadmap.
“So, we are very clear on what to do, and we have a book that will guide us. The document will be put to good use by the agencies,” he said.
He also said the military and National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) have been functional in supporting and moving displaced survivors.
Director-General of the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) Mandir Bako Matazu warned on Tuesday that states in the North-Central, South-East and South-West might witness more flooding in the coming days.
He said high-intensity rain and dam release would lead to more flood incidents.
“In terms of the rainfall-induced floods, we have seen the peak, but we told you that this rainwater gets collected into the reservoirs and dams, and whenever they are filled, it gets spilt.
“So, on the 13th of September, the Lagbo Dam was released and also the Kainji and Shiroro dams were released. So what we’re witnessing now is riverine flooding”, he said.
Ijeoma Opara is a journalist with The ICIR. Reach her via [email protected] or @ije_le on Twitter.