As the rainy season becomes more intense, the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has once again alerted that 31 states are at risk of severe and moderate flooding. The head of NEMA, Mrs Zubaida Umar, spoke at the 2024 Flood Early Warnings Sensitisation Programme in Awka, Anambra State, yesterday. She emphasized the importance of community involvement in reducing the impact of floods.
This programme was organized in partnership with the Anambra State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA). Mrs Umar urged community and opinion leaders, women, and youths to support proactive steps to lessen the impact of flooding during the rainy season.
She noted that the rainfall and flood forecasts for 2024 indicated that Anambra is one of the 31 states at risk of significant flooding. At the official release of the 2024 Annual Flood Outlook (AFO) in April, Water Resources and Sanitation Minister Prof. Joseph Utsev warned that 148 local government areas in these 31 states face a high probability of flooding in 2024.
The states at risk include Adamawa, Akwa-Ibom, Anambra, Bauchi, Bayelsa, Benue, Borno, Cross-River, Delta, Ebonyi, Edo, Imo, Jigawa, Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Kebbi, Kogi, Kwara, Lagos, Nasarawa, Niger, Ogun, Ondo, Osun, Oyo, Plateau, Rivers, Sokoto, Taraba, and Yobe.
Mrs Umar stressed the need for cooperation to protect vulnerable communities, preserve important infrastructure, and support uninterrupted social and economic activities in Anambra. “In recent years, floods have caused the loss of lives, destroyed livelihoods, and damaged infrastructure worth billions of Naira,” she said.
“The severe impacts of floods, particularly in 2012 and 2022, have underscored the need for these early warnings. Managing disasters depends on community participation, ensuring no one is left behind. We must take action to significantly reduce the negative effects of floods. “Both public and private institutions, as well as humanitarian and non-governmental organizations, should use these early warnings to support government efforts,” she added.
Anambra State Governor, Chukwuma Soludo, highlighted that erosion and flooding are major threats to the state, requiring federal intervention. Represented by his deputy, Dr. Onyekachi Ibezim, the governor said the state government has developed a plan to mitigate flooding impacts.
“We appreciate NEMA for choosing Anambra State to kick off this year’s flood early warning sensitisation,” he said. “In the short term, the state government has started infrastructure projects like expanding and cleaning drains, and redirecting drainage into streams. “The state is ready for emergencies and willing to collaborate with NEMA to minimize the effects of annual floods and protect the lives and property of our people,” he added.
Igwe Pius Omachonu of Olumbanasa in Anambra West called on the government to prioritize post-disaster support to help survivors rebuild their lives. “After the 2022 flood disaster, we received no counselling, relief, or support once we left the displaced persons’ camps. We urge the government to prevent this from happening again,” he said.
Chief Paul Odenigbo, the Executive Secretary of SEMA, identified Ayamelum, Anambra East, Anambra West, and Ogbaru as the high flood risk areas out of the 10 identified local government areas. He advised residents near rivers and streams to start moving to higher ground if they notice a significant rise in water levels.
He also mentioned that the state government has increased awareness in flood-prone communities and activated 27 centers to house people who might be displaced during the expected floods.
