Flood: NSEMA Charges Riverine Communities to Keep Two Homes

By Laleye Dipo

In order to avoid the devastating effect of flood caused by heavy rainfall and overflowing of rivers, the Niger State Emergency Management Agency (NSEMA) has told the people living in the riverine areas of the state to keep two homes.

One of the homes, the agency said, should be their ancestral home while the other should be upland of the rivers.

The riverine people were also told to learn to engage in dry season farming.

The Director-General of NSEMA, Alhaji Ahmed Ibrahim Inga, in a statement made available to journalists in Minna yesterday regretted that the organisation does not have sufficient capacity to accommodate the myriad of problems associated with annual flooding of the riverine communities.

“In thinking out of the box, we must realise that our communities affected yearly by flood cannot be completely relocated hence, ‘the two abode project’, and a wet season home at the high land and a dry season home is suggested.”

In addition, Inga said the agency “is also working on every cardinal goals of Sendai Framework which includes: Know Risk, Institutionalisation of DRR and most importantly, Building the Resilience of Communities at risk because it’s cheaper and it also saves time.”

He observed that: “It is time and energy-saving when we direct our resources towards proactive strategies than response which does not only consume money but lives and property.”

Inga said as a result, the agency is developing a “state hazard risk analysis,” which will enable the populace to “understand the vulnerability, capacity, gaps and the likely impact of these risks.”

He said following the seasonal climate prediction by NINET, which was followed by Annual Rainfall Outlook, the state has embarked on community sensitisation in collaboration with major stakeholders which includes traditional rulers, religious institutions, ministries of health, environment and local government.

Inga disclosed that the dam authorities have notified the agency on the “rising of water levels across the state,” and therefore, informed communities living by the river banks to be on alert, and should suspend all farming activities.

However, he disclosed that the agency had identified safe grounds for easy evacuation of victims if need be, pointing out that the organisation has mobilised all MDAs for emergency evacuations and response.