Floods are major disasters affecting many countries of the world annually and Nigeria is not exempted.
States in the country have experienced floods, leading to tremendous loss of property, infrastructure, farmlands and businesses.
Apart from this, loss of lives also occurs as well as outbreak of diseases like cholera and malaria.
Findings show that losses from the 1980 flood tagged “Omiyale” in Ibadan the Oyo State capital, was estimated at over Three Million naira while over five hundred lives were lost.
On the 26th of August 2011, similar flood occurred in parts of the country and Oyo State, claiming lives of people and destroying property worth millions of naira.
The following year in August, history also repeated itself but the magnitude of loss was not as huge as it was in 2011, due to increased awareness and campaigns on the need for people to relocate from flood prone areas.
In May this year, Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency warned that the FCT and all states in Nigeria would experience different levels of flooding.
The Director General of the Agency, Clement Nze stated this during an overview of the 2019 Annual Flood Outlook.
The warning was not to make Nigerians anxious but to ginger them towards taking positive actions to protect lives and property.
Early warning signals is necessary for the public to be alerted in advance and undertake appropriate responses to minimize damage occasioned by flood.
It is imperative for people to heed this warning as a stitch in time saves
People should make it a point of duty to know their community’s flood risks and actions that should be taken to ensure safety.
Nigerian Meteorological Agency should embark on sensitization programs on feasible actions that should be taken.
At this juncture, citizens need to desist from dumping wastes into water channels and drainages, while monitoring teams should be deployed to strategic areas that are flood prone.
In May this year, Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency warned that the FCT and all states in Nigeria would experience different levels of flooding.
The Director General of the Agency, Clement Nze stated this during an overview of the 2019 Annual Flood Outlook.
The warning was not to make Nigerians anxious but to ginger them towards taking positive actions to protect lives and property.
Early warning signals is necessary for the public to be alerted in advance and undertake appropriate responses to minimize damage occasioned by flood.
It is imperative for people to heed this warning as a stitch in time saves
People should make it a point of duty to know their community’s flood risks and actions that should be taken to ensure safety.
Nigerian Meteorological Agency should embark on sensitization programs on feasible actions that should be taken.
At this juncture, citizens need to desist from dumping wastes into water channels and drainages, while monitoring teams should be deployed to strategic areas that are flood prone.
Houses and other structures built on waterways should be demolished by relevant authorities, while approvals for such others should not be given.
Furthermore, people living in lowlands should relocate to safe places until after the rainy season.
The Nigerian Meteorological Agency, Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency, National Emergency Management Authority and the National Orientation Agency must not relent in creating needful sensitization aimed at preventing losses.
It is also pertinent for government to provide more funding to acquire Flood Alarm Systems that would help detect flooding in high risk and vulnerable areas.
Anthonia Akanji
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