Flood Kills 11, Ravages 529 Communities In Niger

The Niger State Emergency Management Agency NSEMA has said 11 people have been killed by flood in the state with 529 communities affected.

Director general of NSEMA, Abdullahi Baba Arah, disclosed this yesterday while giving an update on the various flood disasters in the state.

He said, “Sadly, we have lost 11 people to the flood, five in Mokwa, two each in Shiroro and Munya and one each in Katcha and Rijau local government areas. It is pertinent to report that as a result of this year’s flood, 529 communities in 19 out of the 25 local government areas in the state have been affected.

The local government areas are; Mokwa, Katcha Lavun, Lapai-, Agaie, Shiroro, Munya, Gbako, and Kontagora.Others are: Bosso, Edati, Agwara Magama, Bida, Mashegu, Borgu Gurara, Suleija and Rijau.“
Arah further disclosed that 41,192 people and 6,865 households across the 19 flood-ravaged local government areas were affected by the flood, adding that 34 communities were displaced and are now in Internally Displaced People’s camp created by the state government while some of them are staying in neighbouring communities.

Arah said 246 school infrastructures were washed away, creating accommodation problems for pupils/students and their teachers.

We can also report that as of September, 18 bridges and 80 culverts have been destroyed by floods, the state may also be facing serious food shortages because the flood has affected 118, 692 hectares of farmlands, some of which had crops ready for harvest and over I600 fish ponds were also washed away.