As Nigeria grapples with devastating floods that have ravaged homes and means of livelihood across the country, President Muhammadu Buhari has ordered the Minister of Water Resources, Suleiman Adamu, to develop a preventive plan within 90 days.
A statement issued by the presidential spokesperson, Garba Shehu, on Monday, said Adamu has been directed to lead and coordinate with the Ministries of Environment and Transportation as well as State Governments to develop a comprehensive plan of action for preventing flood disaster in the country.
Shehu in the statement said the President’s directive was conveyed to the Minister in a letter signed by his Chief of Staff, Prof Ibrahim Gambari. The statement said that Buhari regularly received updates on the flooding situation in the country, and has restated his commitment towards addressing the challenges caused by the disaster in the country.
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The flooding recorded in Nigeria in the past few weeks has been unprecedented, requiring an adequate pre-planned approach to mitigate it. So far, more than 600 people have lost their lives while about 1.4 million have been displaced across the country.
About 31 states are said to have been affected by flooding recently. The most affected states, where the deaths are recorded are: Anambra, Bayelsa, Delta, Kebbi, Kogi and Jigawa.
According to the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Sadiya Umar Farouq, about 82,053 houses had been totally decimated, 2,504,095,000 persons affected, while 332,327 hectares of land were completely damaged.
Besides death and displacement, the flooding is expected to unleash severe economic hardship on Nigerians in the near future. With major farms in the country submerged, food inflation is likely going to see further uptick even as the waters recede. Last week, Nigerian Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG) declared force majeure due to issues emanating from the flooding that may impact its operation.
The floods have been attributed to the release of water from Lagdo dam in Cameroon. In September, Nigeria Hydrological Service Agency (NIHSA) had tasked the federal, state and local governments to step up efforts to avert the disaster that will result from the release of the dam’s water.
However, Nigeria was apparently not prepared for flood prevention despite trillions of naira the country has received in ecological funds. The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), the agency saddled with the responsibility of disaster management and prevention since 1999, has been insignificant in the face of the floods.
Thus, Buhari’s “90 days” directive to Adamu, who had last week said the flooding is from God, has been described as a display of the government’s unpreparedness in the face of disaster.