14 states are on notice as Nigeria activates its national response plan in response to its yearly devastating rains

Authorities in Nigeria informed The Associated Press on Thursday that the country has activated its national response plan in preparation for what is anticipated to be another round of annual flooding brought on by climate change.

Following floods that claimed more than 600 lives in Nigeria last year, the National Emergency Management Agency there announced that preparations for what is anticipated to be another deadly downpour have already started. According to agency spokesman Manzo Ezekiel, the organization has mobilized its offices for swift response around the nation and requested air backup from the nation’s air force.

As it is, the (flooding) forecast is still pretty bleak, and we are making every effort to spread awareness and encourage the many agencies to get ready.

Every year, devastating flooding strike the country of West Africa, frequently as a result of disregarded environmental regulations and weak infrastructure.

However, the floods that occurred in the country’s capital city and 33 of its 36 states last year, which were made worse by unusually heavy rains and the spilling over of surplus water from a dam in neighboring Cameroon, resulted in a record number of fatalities and the destruction of more than 340,000 hectares (or 840,158 acres) of land.

Flooding is expected to occur in various states as a result of extreme weather conditions made worse by human actions like construction on waterways. According to the Nigerian Meteorological Agency, less rain is anticipated than last year.

Ibrahim Wasiu, chief of the forecasting division of the meteorological service, stated that extreme weather occurrences, such as unusually heavy rainfall and high temperatures, have been occurring as a result of climate change.

According to a fresh warning released on Wednesday by the Federal Ministry of Environment, as many as 14 states are on high alert for flooding in the upcoming days. It exhorted the states to adopt safety precautions to avoid human fatalities.

This year, flooding has already affected a number of states, including Abuja, the nation’s capital, where days of rain washed away several homes and clogged main thoroughfares, causing the government to mark hundreds of homes for demolition.

Ezekiel from the disaster management organization stated that “putting people in a safe disposition is the most important thing.” Our primary concern is ensuring that as few individuals as possible are impacted by the flooding.