Minister Unveil 2020 Annually Flood Outlook, Flood Mobile App

Minister Unveil 2020 Annually Flood Outlook, Flood Mobile App

The Honourable Minister, Federal Ministry of Water Resources Engr. Suleiman H. Adamu FNSC FAEng made the statement yesterday, 28^th May, 2020 in Abuja at the official presentation / unveiling of the year 2020 Annual Flood Outlook(AFO) and new Flood Mobile App.

In his address, Engr. Adamu disclosed that “overall, the flood level may not be as severe as previous years, but it is near certainty that our rivers will exceed the flood level and many areas would be inundated again this year”.

The 2020 AFO prediction according to the Hon Minister “shows that some parts of at least 102 LGAs in 28 States fall within the highly probable flood risk areas, while parts of 275 LGAs in the 36 States of the Federation, including FCT, fall within the moderate probable flood risk areas. The States that are contiguous to Rivers Niger and Benue, namely: Kebbi, Niger, Kwara, Adamawa, Taraba, Benue, Nasarawa, Kogi, Anambra, Delta, Edo, Rivers and Bayelsa States are likely to be affected by river flooding. Coastal flooding is expected in Rivers, Cross River, Delta, Lagos, Ondo and Bayelsa States while Flash and Urban floods are expected to occur in major cities across the country due to poor drainage system”.

Speaking further the Hon. Minister informed that the Ministry has endeavoured to ensure containment of Covid-19 and other water borne diseases by inaugurating a National WASH Response committee for Covid-19. Engr. Adamu reiterated that it is noteworthy that to promote self-hygiene, sanitation and reduce risk of infection, President Buhari in November 2019 signed the Executive order 009 to end open defecation by 2025. Speaking further Engr. Adamu also told the audience that many State Governors’ buy- in has been secured in this issue of working towards an ODF status for Nigeria by target date of 2025.

The Minister said that Letters and AFO Publications (with maps) have been dispatched to the Governors while the exact LGAs to be affected in each State and the expected level of effect are detailed out accordingly. He therefore appealed to the State Governors to give the AFO information, the attention it requires and to act swiftly to contain any effect of flooding so that we do not have a chaotic situation at hand.

Engr. Adamu expressed his hope that the 8^th edition of Annual Flood Out (AFO), a publication of Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency (NIHSA), a parastatal of Federal Ministry of Water Resources and the new Flood Mobile App would be of practical value to Water Managers, Technical Experts, Disaster Risk Managers, Policy Makers and Flood Forecasting Community for flood prevention and for enhancing early warning systems in Nigeria.

Earlier in her address, the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Water Resources, Mrs. Ekaro Comfort. C noted that this year’s Annual Flood Outlook is yet another step towards reawakening the consciousness of Nigerians on the expected probabilities with regards to the extent and severity of flooding which may be caused by river outflows, dam breaks, anthropogenic activities or excessive rainfall. Considering the success rate of the previous predictions, she urged Nigerians to adhere strictly to regulations on environment and physical planning and development towards averting flood disasters.

Kenechukwu Offie (Mrs.)

Director (Information)