The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has dispatched its personnel to 15 flood-prone states across Nigeria to further educate residents about the looming risk of floods and the urgent need to evacuate areas susceptible to flooding.
The agency emphasized that the victims of the recent disaster in Mokwa, Niger State, were caught off guard because they had settled in gully-prone areas, despite prior official warnings.
Manzo Ezekiel, Head of the Press Unit at NEMA, identified the affected states as Kogi, Imo, Enugu, Adamawa, Taraba, Borno, Zamfara, Katsina, and the Federal Capital Territory.
He expressed concern that many of those impacted by the devastating May 23 flooding had built their homes in vulnerable terrains, making them more susceptible to the disaster.
The Mokwa flood, which struck a key commercial area in Niger State, resulted in the deaths of over 200 people, with many others still missing.
Ezekiel stated, “Although Mokwa was identified as one of the local government areas that were at risk of being flooded, the magnitude at which it occurred was unprecedented. If you visit the location where the flooding happened, you will see that the houses were built in a big gully. And there are so many communities that are living in those kinds of areas.”
He stressed that while Niger was flagged for flood risk, it was not labelled as ‘high risk,’ but that should not make residents complacent.
“That is why we are saying that people should not relax, even those LGAs that were not identified. Because the forecasting agency did not mention that Mokwa LGA is at high risk, it is not an excuse for anybody or any community to relax. Everybody must be on alert. Every community needs to take a necessary step to forestall flooding in its area,” he warned.
Ezekiel explained that many residents living in gullies and similar high-risk zones were blindsided by the disaster.He acknowledged that numerous parts of the country remain exposed to similar risks, referencing the 2024 flooding in Maiduguri.
The Federal Government, meanwhile, has intensified its collaboration with states and emergency services to cushion the impact of the floods.
Ezekiel revealed that NEMA’s Director-General, Zubaida Umar, visited the disaster scene within a day of the incident.
He added that the DG also used the opportunity to raise awareness and prepare other communities for potential flooding.
