The Kebbi State Governor, Comrade Dr Nasir Idris, Kauran Gwandu, has appreciated the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA)’s proactive stance in assessing flood risk areas, providing relief and strengthening people’s capacity for disaster management.
The governor gave the commendation during the “2024 Downscaling of Flood Early Warning Strategies for Early Actions.” event held in Birnin Kebbi on Thursday.
Gov. Idris, represented by the Deputy Governor, Alhaji Abubakar Umar-Tafida, said: ”Your expertise and resources will bolster our efforts to protect lives, livelihoods and infrastructure.”
He recalled that the state had experienced severe flooding, which affected at least 13 LGAs recently, displacing communities and affecting agricultural productivity.
”Your visit will help identify more areas of urgent need and enhancing flood early warning systems, strengthening emergency preparedness and response, as well as providing relief and rehabilitation support,” he noted.
The governor reiterated the committed of his administration to collaborating with NEMA to ensure effective flood management and disaster risk reduction.
In her speech, the Director-General, NEMA, Hajiya Zubaida Umar, said so far, about 1,061,254 persons have been affected by flood, 634,035 displaced, and 94,741 houses damaged or submerged across the country.
Umar, who was represented by Dr Daniel Obot, the Director, Disaster Risk Reduction of the agency, warned that 16 local government areas of Kebbi were predicted to be affected by flood this year.
She said the aim of early warning strategies was to integrate direct risk communication and engagement approach to disseminate early warning message for early actions at the state, local government, and community levels.
”The rainfall and flood advisories contained in the Season Climate Prediction (SCP), and Annual Flood Outlooks (AFO) of Nigeria, Meteorological Agency and Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency (NIHSA), respectively, have provided us with vulnerable early warning alerts.
”Consequently, all of us are expected to take actions that drastically reduce the adverse impacts of floods on the entire lands and the Nigerian population, especially for the most vulnerable persons living in communities identified to be at risk of flooding,” she said.
Umar revealed that the statistics from the National Emergency Coordination Centre (EOC) of NEMA as at Friday, Sept. 13, indicated that 176 LGAs in 30 states including FCT were effected, as against the 148 LGAs and 31 states predicted by NIHSA.
”About 1,061,254 persons are affected; 634,035 are being displaced; 94,741 houses are either damaged or destroyed, while 125,805 hectares of farmlands can be regarded as submerged or crops being washed away across the country,” he disclosed.