The Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet)
and the Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency (NIHSA) have said there is
likelihood of more states experiencing floods in the coming days, especially in
the North Central, South East and South Western States.
Director-General, NiMet, Prof. Mansur Bako
Matazu, and Director-General, Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency (NIHSA), Mr
Clement Nze, gave the indication at the opening ceremony of the workshop on
Hydro-meteorological status and outlook system (HydroSOS).
The NiMet DG said in the coming days, there
would be high intensity rains and coupled with the dams being let open, there
will be more floods.
Benue and Kogi states are experiencing huge
flooding, reminiscent of the 2012 floods. The latest floods has led to loss of
lives and properties worth billions of naira.
“Remember, we issued the forecast in
February and we followed up with the monthly updates that we’re going to have
above normal rainfall in most part of the country. So in terms of the rainfall
induced floods, we’ve 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 spilled. So, on the13th of September, the Lagbo Dam was
released. And also Kainji and Shiroro dams were also were released. So what
we’re witnessing now is riverine flooding” Prof. Matazu explained.
“And from the information we’re getting
from NIHSA we’re going to see more floods. And now the rain is concentrating on
the North Central and the southern states. So that will be a combination of
short duration, high intensity rain, which riverine flooding. So we’re going to
see more of these floods in the north central states as we are seeing in Kogi
and also south eastern and southwestern states as we are beginning to see in a
number of parts of South West.”
He further noted that water-associated
risks are going to intensify in the coming years as the full weight of climate
change begin to bear on our earth.
“In Africa, water-related hazards such as
flood, drought etc has become a major cause of food insecurity, strains on
livelihoods, health risks and conflicts in many parts of the continent.”
The DG NIHSA said the flood that has
happened was primarily caused by rainfall and not the released dams.
He also noted that coupled with the fact
that some people had built on flood plains, and with the rise in water levels
in the River Niger and Benue, the floods became inevitable.
Alan Jenkins, the Deputy Director of the UK
Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, commended NiMet for being first agency in the
world to apply the HydroSOS.