The Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) and the Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency (NISHA) have revealed that there is more chance of more states in the North Central, South East, and South West experiencing floods in the coming days. This was disclosed by both the Director- General of NiMet, Prof. Mansur Bako Matazu, and the Director-General of NIHSA, Mr. Clement Nze during the opening ceremony on the Hydro-metrological status and outlook system (Hydro SOS) workshop in the nation's capital on the 11th October 2022. While speaking on the current flood impact the DG noted that the flood is a result of rainfall and has gotten to its peak, flooding as a result of opening dams and other water-holding facilities would affect the aforementioned states.
“Remember, we issued the forecast in February and we followed up with the monthly updates that we’re going to have above-normal rainfall in most parts of the country. So in terms of the rainfall-induced floods, we’ve seen the peak but remember we told you that this rainwater gets collected into the reservoirs and dams, and whenever they are filled, it gets spilled. So, on the 13th of September, the Lagbo Dam was released. And also Kainji and Shiroro dams were also released. So what we’re witnessing now is riverine flooding” Prof. Matazu explained.
“And from the information, we’re getting from NIHSA we’re going to see more floods. And now the rain is concentrating on the North Central and the southern states. So that will be a combination of short duration, high-intensity rain, and riverine flooding. So we’re going to see more of these floods in the north-central states as we are seeing in Kogi and also southeastern and southwestern states as we are beginning to see in a number of parts of South West.”
He further noted that water-associated risks are going to intensify in the coming years as the full weight of climate change begins to bear on our earth.
“Every year water-related hazard affects millions of people globally and cause damages to properties worth billions of Dollars. It is expected that water-associated risks are going to intensify in the coming years as the full weight of climate change begins to bear on our earth.
“In Africa, water-related hazards such as flood, drought, etc have become a major cause of food insecurity, strains on livelihoods, health risks, and conflicts in many parts of the continent.”
“Water-related challenges facing governments at all levels include securing water supplies, designing appropriate water governance schematic, sustaining the management of transboundary basins, managing flood and/or drought as well as ensuring the protection and conservation of our ecosystem. It has been observed that one of the major factors to effectively manage water resources and address some of the above challenges is the availability of hydrometeorological information and products targeted to serve the needs of the different sectors.”
