The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) Director-General and other Federal Government of Nigeria Agencies were invited to brief the House of Representatives on Tuesday regarding the procedures in place to manage the socioeconomic effects of flood disasters on the residents of flood-prone areas.
urged the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) to communicate with the appropriate Federal Government of Nigeria agencies to ensure that Nigerians are relocated from the areas that are most susceptible to flooding.
The House passed the resolutions in response to a motion of urgent public significance introduced by Mr. Femi Gbajabiamila, a former speaker of the House.
The motion which is titled: “Need to Commence Active Measures to Mitigate the Probable Devastation of a Severe Flood Season
and prepare Palliative Intervention to Prevent the worst Socio-Economic Consequences for Nigerians in the Affected Areas”.
In moving the motion, Mr Gbajabiamila
noted that a large portion of the country from North to South, East to West is prone to annual destructive flooding incidents which recurring events have, in recent years, increased significantly in severity and the extent of the devastation of lives and property.
He also noted that the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) in January this year released the seasonal
climate prediction with a forecast of early onset of rain across the country and heavy rains throughout the
season, the prediction of an early rainy season has already come to pass, there is every reason to expect the forecast of a heavy rainy season will also come to fruition.
“Concerned that the 2023 Annual Flood Outlook prepared by the Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency shows that 178 (One Hundred and Seventy-Eight) Local Government Areas in 32 (thirty-two) States of the Federation and the Federal Capital Territory fall within the highly probable flood risk areas
According to Gbajabiamila, “Nigeria is yet to recover from the 2022 flood, which affected more than 4 million Nigerians,
displaced over two million people, caused the death of six hundred and sixty-five (665) people, damaged about three hundred and fifty-five thousand nine hundred and eighty-six (355,986) houses and homesteads and destroyed an estimated total of nine hundred and forty-four thousand, nine hundred and eighty-nine
thousand (944,989) hectares of farmland
He said that the experience of the 2022 flood caused the Federal Government of Nigeria to constitute a Presidential Committee to develop a comprehensive Plan of Action for Preventing Flood Disasters in Nigeria, the Action Plan proposes structural and non-structural measures, land and water management systems and better coordination amongst stakeholders across the Federal and State Governments to ensure effective flood management in Nigeria.
“Convinced that with sufficient preparation and collaboration between the Federal and State Governments, we can mitigate the loss of life and the socio-economic hardships caused by these recurring flooding events.
“Also cognizant of the need for the Federal Government and the State Governments to commence active
measures to mitigate the probable devastation of a Severe Flood Season and prepare palliative and intervention measures to prevent the worst Socio-economic consequences for Nigerians in the affected.
Also adopting amendment to the motion, the House called for the implementation of the Presidential Committee on Management of Floods and Disasters in Nigeria.
“The House urged NEMA to ensure the Federal Government of Nigeria stockpiles sufficient quantities of temporary shelter materials, food and nutrition items and medicine to support people in flood-prone areas.
“The House also resolved to encourage communication between the Federal Government of Nigeria and the state governments to ensure effective collaboration to prevent the worst outcomes in flood-prone areas.
