Borno State Governor, Prof. Babagana Umar Zulum, has called for collective action among all tiers of government to address the worsening effects of climate change in Nigeria, following the devastating flood disaster in Niger State's Mokwa area.
Leading a delegation to Minna on Monday, Governor Zulum expressed deep concern over the increasing volume of water being released from dams, resulting in widespread flooding despite minimal rainfall.
"What we are seeing is a great concern to us. Even now that there is not much rain, the volume of water coming is very high. This is due to climate change," Zulum stated during his visit to the Government House in Minna.
Call for Federal Intervention
The Borno governor emphasized the urgent need for the Federal Government to establish a comprehensive mechanism to address flooding nationwide.
"There is need for sub-nationals to work together to mitigate the effects of this menace. I am calling on the federal government to set a robust mechanism to address this issue to avert floods. And, I believe the federal government will look into this issue," he urged.
Zulum announced a donation of N300 million to support victims of the Niger State flood disaster, noting that Borno has also experienced similar challenges with significant loss of life.
"We are going through same challenge of flood, where hundreds of lives were lost. However, ours differs from your own because we lost more lives. Our prayers are with you," he added.
Niger State's Response
Niger State Governor, Mohammed Umaru Bago, expressed gratitude for the visit and donation, describing it as timely and a demonstration of solidarity.
Governor Bago assured that the funds would be used judiciously and revealed that his administration is currently conducting advocacy campaigns to discourage settlements near coastal lines to prevent future disasters.
"We presently have a lot of advocacy going on on the need for the people to stay away from coastal lines to avert reoccurrence of such disaster," Bago stated.
The visit highlights the growing concern among Nigerian leaders about the increasing frequency and severity of climate-related disasters affecting various parts of the country.
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