In a decisive move, the National Economic Council (NEC) has issued directives aimed at mitigating the severe impact of flooding in various states across Nigeria. The decision came during the 136th NEC meeting, held at the Aso Rock Presidential Villa in Abuja, and was communicated by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, Nyesom Wike.
The NEC has tasked the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) with providing immediate intervention and relief to states grappling with the devastating consequences of floods. Simultaneously, a comprehensive roadmap is to be formulated to tackle the persistent issue of flooding and its associated disasters.
Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi State, who leads the Committee on the Impact of Flood and Disaster Across the States in Nigeria, presented a categorization of states based on the severity of damage caused by the floods. The categorization is as follows:
Group A States
Anambra, Bauchi, Bayelsa, Benue, Borno, Kogi, Nasarawa, Niger, Rivers, Enugu, Kano, Oyo, Yobe, and Zamfara. These states have incurred significant damage, with over 15 points allocated.
Group B States
Cross River, Delta, Jigawa, Kwara, and Ondo. These states have reported damage ranging from 10 to 15 points.
Group C States
Katsina, Abia, Adamawa, Akwa Ibom, Bauchi, Ebonyi, Edo, Ekiti, Gombe, Imo, Kaduna, Katsina, Kebbi, Lagos, Ogun, Osun, Plateau, Sokoto, Taraba, and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). These states have reported less severe damage, with less than 10 points allocated.
Additionally, the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) has raised alarm bells, predicting that 4.2 million Nigerians are at risk of displacement in 2023 due to the escalating climate-induced disasters. This prediction is part of the IOM’s 2023 Nigeria Response Overview Disaster Preparedness Plan, highlighting the country’s increasing vulnerability to natural calamities.
Nigeria, Africa’s most populous nation, recently faced its worst flooding crisis in a decade during 2022. UNICEF reported that these floods affected a staggering 3.2 million people, including 1.9 million children. In the same year, the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management, and Social Development recorded over 1.4 million people displaced, 603 fatalities, more than 2,400 injuries, 82,035 damaged houses, and 676,000 hectares of farmland affected.
Bayelsa State bore the brunt of the disaster, with 700,000 displaced individuals and approximately 300 communities submerged by torrential rains. Meanwhile, Jigawa State, one of the hardest-hit states, witnessed the destruction of over 257 health facilities and schools between August and November 2022.
Former President Muhammadu Buhari had undertaken an inspection tour in late January, assessing the extensive damage to roads, bridges, and settlements across several local government areas in Jigawa.
The NEC’s prompt actions to address this crisis include the development of a comprehensive roadmap for intervention. Additionally, NEMA has been directed to provide immediate relief to the affected states. The development and articulation of this roadmap will be undertaken by NEC, in collaboration with the Chairman of the Nigeria Governors Forum.
The NEC’s commitment to addressing this pressing issue signals a proactive approach to mitigating the devastating effects of flooding and disaster in Nigeria.
