Flood: Allocate 1% of Your Annual Budget for Early-warning Tools, NiMet Tells States, LGAs

Kasim Sumaina

As the country approaches flooding cycle, the Nigeria Meteorological Agency (NiMet), has called on states and local governments to as a matter of priority allocate 1 per cent of their annual budgets to enhance the development of early-warning tools for disaster risk reduction across the country.

This is even as its counterpart, National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), hinted that it would not hesitate to activate it’s emergency operations centers for search, rescue and needs assessment as the need arises.

NiMet, lamented that it is regrettable that with all efforts dedicated to the development of the early-warning tools and the analysis of their implications, governments, especially at the sub-national level failed to heed to the advisories therein contained.

The agency had advised 34 States across the nation to prepare for three days of flash flood, noting that the occurrences could increased likelihood of cars skidding of the road, chances of car crashes, destruction of settlements, farmlands and bridges.

The Director General/CEO, NiMet, Prof, Mansur Bako Matazu, in his goodwill message at a recent National Consultative Workshop on 2021 flood preparedness, mitigation and response activities organised by NEMA in Abuja, noted that stakeholders must make concerted and deliberate efforts to, as much possible, strive to prepare very well to minimise flooding rather than always sitting back to manage its full occurrence.

Matazu, represented by the General Manager, Agro Meteorology, Mr. Haruna Zakari, advised that with the manner climate change events are unfolding globally, whereby a number of predictions are upturned, stakeholders must continue to come together to review and brainstorm on emerging extreme events happening within and outside the country to strategies and unfold on ways to address events as they unfold.

According to him, “We must develop a mechanism whereby all are engaged and tasked to continuously monitor and report on serious deviations that will counter to the predictions so that necessary measures are put in place to mitigate against such deviations and the unwanted effects that may occur.”

Matazu, further lamented that despite the very useful early-warning tools issued annually and, updated periodically by both NiMet and NIHSA, that could be used to avert and minimise flooding across the country, “we still seem to not to find the right strategy to utilise these tools optimally to achieve that objective. I am referring here to the Seasonal Climate Prediction (SCP), and the Annual Flood Outlook (AFO).”

Speaking in similar vein, the Director General, National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Mustapha Habib Ahmed, stated that the national workshop is one of the expedient steps necessary to collectively prepare for and provide strategies to strengthen flood risk mitigation and effective response among disaster management stakeholders in the country.

He stated that, already, there are reported cases of flooding in 210 local government areas in 32 states and FCT with attendant loss of lives, livelihood and properties, adding that the agency will activate the Emergency Operations Centers if needs arises.