Lagos, Bayelsa, 30 Other States To Suffer Heavy Flooding This Year—FG
The Federal Government has revealed that the country will be faced with heavy flooding of which Lagos, Bayelsa, 30 other states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) will suffer the highest flood.
The Minister of Water Resources Suleiman Adamu disclosed this while presenting the 2023 Annual Flood Outlook (AFO) analyzed by the Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency (NHSA) in Abuja on Friday.
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Adamu said that despite the flood incidence of 2022 which negative effects still lingers currently, the country is projected to experience heavy floodings of which only four state in the whole nation is exempted.
He revealed that the situation is going to be very critical.
The 2022 Nigeria flood according to the FG data, revealed that over 1.4 million people were displaced, 603 people killed and more than 2,400 persons were injured.
He said, “The AFO forecasts for 2023 shows that 178 Local Government Areas (LGA) in 32 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory fall within the highly probable flood risk areas.
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“The states with highly probable flood risk include Adamawa, Abia, Akwa-Ibom, Anambra, Bauchi, Bayelsa, Benue, Cross River, Delta, Ebonyi, Ekiti, and Edo. While Gombe, Imo, Jigawa, Kaduna, Kano, Kebbi, Kogi, Kwara, Lagos, Nasarawa, Niger, Ogun, Ondo, Osun, Oyo, Rivers, Sokoto, Taraba, Yobe, Zamfara and the Federal Capital Territory. falls within the moderately probable flood risk areas
“While 224 LGA in 35 states of the federation including the FCT fall within the moderately probable flood risk areas, the remaining 402 LGA fall within the probable flood risk areas.”
The states not mentioned in the AFO forecast for flooding in 2023 are Borno, Enugu, Katsina and Plateau states.
He also revealed that within an eight-month period covering April to November, the flood impact is expected to be high on agriculture, livestock, infrastructure, livelihood, environment and the population.
Also, the minister pointed out that the AFO was presented to help the federal and state governments to better prepare for and respond to potential flood events.
