By Fatima Saka
Nigeria’s Minister of Water Resources, Engr. Suleiman Adamu has said that the Annual Flood Outlook (AFO) is an Imperative tool in flood risk management for minimizing the adverse effects of flooding on lives, properties, critical infrastructure and social economic well being.
The Minister made this assertion on Thursday during the presentation of the 2022 Annual Flood Outlook (AFO) by the Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency (NIHSA) in Abuja
According to Engr. Adamu, Nigeria regularly experiences flood disasters particularly during the rainy seasons and communities that depend on the river ecosystem and its fertile flood paths for their sustenance and social economic well being as well as urban and semi urban areas with inadequate drainage systems are mostly affected by flood losses.
He added that the AFO has aided the abatement of flood risks in the country through early warnings and forecastings, and applauded the Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency for improving on its predictive capacity through the introduction of new approach to the 2022 AFO which are designed into three respective scenarios of flood outlook for the months of April to June(AMJ); flood outlook for September to July (JAS); and flood outlook for the months of October to November (ON) respectively.
Adamu further revealed that the general outlook of 2022 Annual Flood Outlook shows that 233 local government Areas in 32 States of the Federation and FCT fall within the Highly Probable flood risk Areas, while 212 Local Government Areas in 35 states of the Federation including FCT fall within the moderately probable flood risk Areas. However, he added that the remaining 392 Local Government Areas fall within the probable flood risk Areas.
Speaking on, the Minister noted that the highly Probable Flood risk states include Adamawa, Abia, Akwa Ibom, Anambra, Bauchi, Bayelsa, Benue, Cross River, Delta and Ebonyi. Others are, Ekiti, Edo, Gombe, Imo, Jigawa, kaduna, Kano, Kebbi, Kwara, Lagos, Nasarawa, Ogun, Ondo, Osun, Oyo, Rivers, Sokoto,Taraba,Yobe, Zamfara and FCT
Engr Adamu also noted that Rivers, Bayelsa, Cross River, Delta,Edo, Lagos, Ogun and Ondo will experience coastal flooding due to tidal surge and rise in sea level.
In addition, he said that the flash and urban flooding will be experienced in parts of Lagos, Kaduna, Suleja, Gombe,Yola, Markurdi, Abuja,Lafia,Asaba, Port Harcourt,Yenagoa, Ibadan, Abeokuta,Benin City, and Birni kebbi. Others include Sokoto, Lokoja, Maiduguri, Kano, Oshogbo, Ado-Ekiti, Abakaliki, Awka, Nsukka, Calabar and Owerri
The Minister affirmed that efforts are in top gear by the Ministry of Water Resources to put in place structural control measures such as dams, canals, storm drains and other facilities to divert flood waters from highly probable flood risk zones in the country.
He also gave an assurance of strong collaboration with the neighbouring countries with regards to water releases from dams within their catchments and better preparedness to avert any flood eventual incidents.
Also, Engr. Clement Nze, the Director General (DG) of Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency (NIHSA), speaking during the public presentation of the 2022 AFO noted that people will be better informed through the 2022 AFO document.