Nigeria: need for preparedness against flood in the north west zone
NEMA press release
Floods are among the most devastating natural disasters in the world, claiming more lives and causing more property damage than any other natural phenomena. In Nigeria, though not leading in terms of claiming lives, flood affects and displaces more people than any other disaster; it also causes more damage to properties. At least 20 per cent of the population is at risk from one form of flooding or another. Floods in the North West zone and to a larger extent in the whole country are caused by:
- a) Excessive prolonged rainfall
- b) Siltation of existing streams
- c) Human manipulations of drainage basins and undeveloped drainages.
- d) Town & Urban Planning Problems
- d) Dam Collapse
While excessive prolonged rain fall is natural and beyond human control, siltation of streams, human manipulation of existing streams , manipulations of drainage basins and under developed drainages, town and urban planning problems and dam collapse are human made and can actually be prevented or at least have their impact mitigated.
To prevent and mitigate flood disasters in a sustainable way; we call on States and Local Government to continue to provide more and more drainages where they do not exist, better land use and regulation and increased awareness towards changing attitudes and cultures.
While we are pursuing the structural measures which are the sure rest ways of preventing and mitigating flooding we have a duty to be prepared to respond to it. We collectively and individually have a duty to provide succor to victims of flooding and indeed other disasters.
To be able to respond timely and efficiently in a coordinated way against flooding all the three tiers must to be prepared; we must develop plans that consider the vulnerable groups, project full impacts and consequences and acquire contingency stock filing.
It is against this background that we called on the States and Local Governments to empower their respective State Emergency Management Agencies (SEMAs) and Local Government Emergency Management Committees (LGEMCs), to enable them coordinate other stakeholders, prepare a workable plan, have enough contingency stock file and generate the needed awareness among the population. Responding to flood and indeed all disaster issues is a collective responsibility.
The Federal, State and the Local Government and indeed the communities have complementary roles to play. It is when a disaster overwhelms a community and the Local Government that the State should be invited to intervene, the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), should only be requested to intervene in situations that the community, local and state governments’ efforts could not provide the needed succor.
For the SEMAs and LEMCs to live up to their responsibility funding and support from their respective governments is sacrosanct. The three tiers are suppose to reinforce one another to give the citizenry optimum service.
Media contact:
Alhassan Nuhu
North West Zonal Coordinator
National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA)
Yushau A. Shuaib
Head of Press and Public Relations
GSM: 0803-5555-999