The Nigeria Hydrological Servicea Agency (NIHSA) on Thursday warned 34 states in flood prone areas to prepare for flood. The agency said these states are at risk of river and coastal flooding this year. NIHSA stated these in its 2018 Annual Flood Outlook (AFO). It projected flooding in 78 local councils across the country.
The states with high risk of river flooding are – Sokoto, Niger, Benue, Anambra, Niger Delta, Anambra, Ogun-Osun, Cross-River and Yobe.
Lagos, Bayelsa, Rivers, Delta and Ondo States may likely experience coastal flooding due to rise in sea level and tidal surge which would impact fishing and coastal transportation.
Major cities like Port Harcourt, Sokoto, Lagos, Ibadan, Kaduna, Yola, Abuja, Maiduguri, Makurdi, Calabar, Jos, Owerri, Oshogho, Ilorin, Awka, Abakaliki and Birnin-Kebbi, are expected to experience flash and urban flooding due to poor drainage system.
Other cities that will experience urban flooding are – Kano, Yenogaa, Abeokuta, Ado-Ekiti, Lokoja, Lafia, Nsuka, Gombe, Suleja, Karu, Nyanya, Abaji, Onitsha, Sapele, and Hadejia.
The Minister of Water Resources, Engr. Suleiman Adamu FNSE, said going by the prediction, water levels on the River Niger and Benue among other major rivers, would rise and remain high during the rainy season.
“We can however, manage these extreme events in such a manner that their deleterious effects are mitigated and become less devastating,” he said.
Adamu expressed concerns that some dams in the country were getting silted up and the storage capacity was reducing thus causing water to be spilled through the waterways
