The Niger State Government has issued an urgent advisory for communities living in flood-prone areas to immediately relocate to higher ground following a weather forecast by the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) predicting three days of thunderstorms and rainfall across the country.
In a statement released in Minna, Jonathan Vatsa, Special Adviser to Governor Mohammed Umar Bago on Communication, Media and Strategy, emphasized the critical need for residents along riverbanks to move to safer locations to prevent potential catastrophes.
The government cited the recent Mokwa flood disaster, which claimed over 200 lives and destroyed properties worth millions of naira, as a situation it is determined to prevent from recurring.
Proactive Measures to Prevent Disaster
"Niger State is prone to flood with over 2,000 communities across 15 local government areas of the state living by the riverside," the statement noted. "We need to be proactive in order to avoid the Mokwa experience and that is why the state government is advising people living by the riverside to immediately begin to relocate to a safer place. The warning by the Nigerian Meteorological Agency should not be taken for granted."
The government plans to launch a statewide awareness and sensitization campaign to educate residents about the importance of temporarily leaving their ancestral homes during the rainy season, with assurances that "they can go back after the rainy season."
Community Leaders Called to Action
Traditional rulers, community leaders, and religious figures have been urged to assist the government in sensitizing their subjects and followers about heeding flood warnings and taking necessary precautions.
According to NiMet's three-day weather outlook, early morning thunderstorms are expected in northern states, including Kaduna, Adamawa, and Taraba. Heavier rainfall and storms may affect Borno, Zamfara, Bauchi, Kano, Jigawa, Kebbi, Katsina, Federal Capital Territory, Niger, Kwara, Plateau, Kogi, Benue, and Nasarawa states, among other northern areas.
This advisory comes as part of the state government's efforts to mitigate potential flood disasters during the rainy season and protect vulnerable communities.
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