Flooding: NEMA warns River Niger communities to evacuate immediately‎

The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has advised communities along the River Niger to evacuate immediately to higher and safer ground.

In a statement it issued in Abuja on Saturday, the agency warned that there was danger of imminent flooding as a result of intense rainfall and rise in water level.

The Director-General of NEMA, Malam Muhammad Sani-Sidi, said information received from the authorities in the neighbouring Republic of Niger indicated the present water level in the river had reached a point that may result in flooding reminiscent of that of 2012 which ravaged several communities.

He explained that the level of water in all the hydrological monitoring stations across the country as at August 5, 2016 had already exceeded the corresponding values at that time.‎

According to him, "Niger Basin Authority (NBA) notified Nigeria that rainy season, which started in the Middle Niger (Burkina Faso and Niger Republic) in June, has led to a gradual rise of the level of River Niger in Niamey, Niger Republic.

"This high level of water in Niger Republic is already spreading to Benin Republic, and invariably, to Nigeria."

He added that "if the heavy rainfall continues in intensity and duration within these regions of the River Niger, it is imminent that flood situation similar to that of the year 2012 may occur".

This development is an alarming situation that requires the prompt and coordinated action of all governments and stakeholders, he pointed out.

Sani-Sidi, therefore, called on all stakeholders to take necessary actions in line with their various mandates.
‎
He warned states and local governments to ensure observance of the threat to avert loss of lives and property that might arise in the event of flooding.

He identified the states along the River Niger belts as being the most vulnerable and those along its major tributaries such as in Benue river belts , the confluence states and downstream to the Atlantic Coast.

He said NEMA zonal and operation offices had been instructed to continue with advocacy visit to the state governments.

He also urged the states to utilise the flood vulnerability maps given to them earlier by NEMA to identify safer ground for temporary shelters in time of evacuation.

He advised them to always review all their other contingency plans.