The Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency (NHSA) has warned that Nigeria is inching closer to a peak rainy season and urged states, local governments to embark on precautionary measures to prevent cases of flooding.
This was disclosed by the NHSA Director-General, Mr Clement Nze, in a press briefing on Wednesday in Abuja. He urged that strict town planning codes be enforced, calling for constructions of flood walls, buffer dams, dykes and other infrastructure that can hold water and prevent flooding.
What the NHSA is saying
“Federal, states and local governments should clear drainage systems and canals, and embark on projects that will improve hydraulic conveyance of surface run-offs during peak flows… carry out river training activities and maintenance of drainage areas through removal of silt and sediment deposits in rivers, to increase storage capacities,” Nze said.
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The NHSA boss revealed that Nigeria is stepping into the 2021/2022 hydrological year in the River Niger Basin, which includes a total of 9 countries, citing the yearly occurrence of flooding in the country since 2012.
“It then means that Nigeria is gradually inching closer to its peak rainy season with subsequent flood incidents,” he said.
“Nigeria’s geographical location downstream, of all the countries in the Basin, puts it at the receiving end of disastrous floods and pollutions from all the countries upstream,” Nze added.
In case you missed it: According to the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet), the rising heatwave in the month of March just before the rainfalls was caused by NorthWestern and South Western air masses from the Sahara and Atlantic Ocean which generates so much heat during the transition month period of March-April.