FG Issues Critical Flood Advisory for 2024/2025, Identifies High-Risk Basins

By Jemimah Wellington, JKNMedia Reporter

AS TORRENTIAL rains continue this year, the Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency (NIHSA) has released its annual Flood Outlook, serving as the cornerstone for the Federal Government’s flood mitigation strategies.

The NIHSA says this crucial report outlines anticipated flood patterns and provides essential advisories for states and local government areas, urging proactive measures, especially in the most flood-prone communities.

Tagging some areas high-risk flood zones, NIHSA report identifies several basins as frenzied areas, calling for heightened vigilance and preparedness.

The reports reveals that these basins include the ‘Upper and Lower Niger” cum the ‘Upper and Lower Benue” comprising Anambra-Imo, Niger-Delta’ as well as the Lower fringes of Ogun-Osun, parts of Cross River, Sokoto-Rima, and Komadougu-Yobe.

Noting that in total, 144 local government areas (LGAs) across these regions are predicted to face severe flooding during the 2024/2025 hydrological year; the Federal Government advises these areas to implement early and robust flood mitigation strategies to safeguard lives and property.

For areas with moderate flood risks, the NIHSA report says these are anticipated in a wider range of regions, impacting a total of 253 LGAs, adding that states expected to experience moderate flooding include; Adamawa, Abia, Akwa Ibom, Anambra, Bauchi, Bayelsa and Benue.

Further in the NIHSA report, detailed outlook for Adamawa state presents a mixed flood risk profile, with both high-risk and moderate-risk areas, and specific high-risk LGAs include; Yola South, Lamurde, Demsa, Numan, Fufore and Gombe.

And moderate flood risk areas in Adamawa encompass Yola North, Shelleng, Guyuk, Song, Jada and Mayo-Belwa.

Given these projections, the report notes the need for government’s call to early action asking the FG to leverage the NIHSA flood outlook, urging the states and local governments to prioritize flood preparedness.

The NIHSA says its advisory emphasize the importance of implementing early anticipatory actions to minimize the adverse effects of floods, particularly in the identified high-risk and moderate-risk zones, and instructs communities within these regions to stay informed, adhere to safety protocols, and cooperate with local authorities to ensure effective flood management and response.