South-east, north-central to experience more floods, NiMet warns

The Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) says the south-east and north-central will experience more flooding in the days and weeks ahead.

Mansur Matazu, director-general of NiMet, said this in Abuja on Tuesday at a meeting of the hydro-meteorological status and outlook system (HydroSOS).

He said while states across the country have been affected by the above-normal rainfall, the opening of dams and other water-holding facilities could greatly affect the north-central and the south-east.

“You remember, we issued the forecast in February and we followed up with the monthly updates that we are going to have above-normal rainfall in most parts of the country,” Matazu said. 

“So in terms of the rainfall-induced floods, we have seen the peak, but remember we told you that this rainwater gets collected into the reservoirs and dams, and whenever they are filled, it gets filled.

“So on September 13, the Lagdo dam was released. Other dams were also released. So what we are witnessing now is riverine flooding. And from the information we are getting, we are going to see more of these floods in the north central states as we have seen in Kogi and also south-eastern and south-western states as we are beginning to see in Anambra and some parts of south-west.

“It is no longer news to anyone here that water-related hazards and threats have become a global challenge in the face of a changing climate coupled with population growth and increasing socio-economic activities.

“Every year, water-related hazards affect millions of people globally and cause damages to properties worth billions of dollars. It is expected that water-associated risks are going to intensify in the coming years as the full weight of climate change begins to bear on our earth.”

He said there is a need for governments to tackle water-related challenges by “securing water supplies, designing appropriate water governance schematic, sustaining the management of transboundary basins, managing flood and/or drought as well as ensuring the protection and conservation of our ecosystem”.

Clement Nze, director-general of the Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency (NIHSA), added that the Ladgo dam in Cameroon would continue to spill water till November 18, 2022.

“Even though the flood may be reducing in the northern part of the country, the southern part will still be going up. So, we should prepare,” he said.