The Federal Government has raised the alarm over terrific flood across 178 Local Government Areas (LGAs) in 32 States and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
This followed earlier predictions by the NIgeria Hydrological Services Agency (NIHSA) of impending floods in many states.
Minister of Water Resources, Mr Suleiman Adamu disclosed this at the official unveiling of the 2023 Annual Flood Outlook (AFO) on Friday in Abuja with the theme: "Flood Prediction and it’s Impact on Socio-economic Livelihood."
The forecast revealed that 178 LGAs in 32 states and the FCT fall within the highly probable flood risk areas while 224 LGAs in 35 states including the FCT fall within the moderately probable flood risk areas.
This is even as the remaining 402 LGAs fall within the probable flood risk areas.
The highly probable flood risk states are Adamawa, Abia, Akwa Ibom, Anambra, Bauchi, Bayelsa, Benue, Cross- River, Delta, Ebonyi, Ekiti, Edo, Gombe, Imo, Jigawa, Kaduna, Kano, Kebbi, Kogi, Kwara, Lagos, Nasarawa, Niger, Ogun, Ondo, Osun, Oyo, Rivers, Sokoto, Taraba, Yobe, Zamfara and the FCT.
Adamu noted that the level of floods in highly probable flood risk states is expected to be high in terms of impact on the population, agriculture, livelihood, livestock , Infrastructure and the environment between April and November.
“Part of 66 LGAs across the country fall within the highly probable risk areas in the months of April, May and June, while part of 148 LGAs will also partake of the risk in the months of July, August and September," he added.
The minister said that part of 100 LGAs in the months of October and November, 2023 also fall within the highly probable risk areas, noting that details of the LGAs and their corresponding states are contained in the publication.
”Moderate impact level of floods are expected in parts of 41 LGAs within the months of April, May and June, and in parts of 199 LGAs within the months of July, August and September.
"Also, parts of 73 LGAs within the months of October and November, 2023.
“The flash and urban flood will be experienced in cities of Lagos, Kaduna, Suleja, Gombe, Yola, Makurdi, Abuja, Lafia, Asaba, Port Harcourt, Yenagoa, Ibadan, Abeokuta, Benin City, Bimin- Kebbi, Sokoto, Lakoja, Maiduguri, Kano, Oshogbo, Ado-Ekiti, Abakaliki, Awka, Nsukka, Calabar and Owerri," the minister said.
Adamu disclosed that Bayelsa, Cross River, Delta, Edo, Lagos, Ogun, Rivers and Ondo would experience coastal flooding due to a rise in sea level and tidal surge, adding that it would affect fishing, wildlife habitation and river navigation.
He pleaded with stakeholders, policy makers and agencies to deploy appropriate mechanism on how to curtail the impending floods.
The Permanent Secretary in the ministry, Didi Walson- Jack hinted that flooding would be reduced to the barest minimum by promoting flood-risk factors.
Walson-Jack, who was represented by the Director of Inspectorate, River Basin, Mr AJ Ochigbo harped on the need to adopt appropriate mitigating measures to curtail the flooding.
Director-General of NIHSA, Mr Clement Nze pleaded with farmers, policy makers and others Nigerians to implement the information provided as a preventive measure.
Nze stated that the objective of the AFO is to prepare the nation to avert flooding and initiate pre- emptive measures ahead of the raining season.
He said that NIHSA was given 90-day ultimatum to unveil actionable solutions towards mitigating the impending flood, promising to release more predictions starting from June.
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