Flood Alert: Environmentalist Urges Proactive Actions

An environmental advocate, Dr. Comfort Asokoro-Ogaji, has called for proactive actions and collaboration among the various levels of government following the federal government’s recent flood alert in 31 states across Nigeria.

Speaking to journalists in Abuja at the weekend, Asokoro-Ogaji, a management staff of Richflood International, an environmental sustainability firm, emphasized the critical importance of swift and decisive action to safeguard lives and property in the affected regions.

She said, “The federal government’s warning serves as a wake-up call for all stakeholders to prioritise preparedness and resilience-building efforts.

“We must act swiftly and decisively to protect our communities and build resilience against the looming threat of floods,” she said.

According to the forecast, the high flood-risk states 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.

Asokoro-Ogaji noted that the high flood-risk areas are expected to experience significant flooding between April and November 2024, adding that the flooding is anticipated to have severe impacts on population, agriculture, livelihoods, livestock, infrastructure, and the environment.

He pointed out that 72 local government areas (LGAs) across the country fall within the high flood-risk areas between April and June, 135 LGAs are at risk between July and September, and 44 LGAs are at risk between October and November 2024.

For areas categorised under moderate flood risk, Dr. Asokoro-Ogaji stated that these regions would witness moderate flooding between April and November 2024.

“This moderate impact level flooding is expected to affect parts of 63 LGAs between April and June, parts of 221 LGAs between July and September, and parts of 100 LGAs between October and November 2024,” she said.

Consequently, the environmentalist urged all levels of government, as well as relevant stakeholders, to collaborate and take proactive measures to mitigate the potential impact of flooding in the identified high-risk areas.