The National Emergency Management Agency has revealed that, to date, 45 individuals have lost their lives and 171,545 people have been displaced due to extensive flooding incidents that have occurred across Nigeria in 2023.
This concerning information was disclosed by Dapo Akingbade, an official of NEMA, during the monthly meeting of the Water Sanitation and Hygiene in the Emergency Working Group held in Abuja.
According to Akingbade, as of October 7, the data indicates that floods have affected a total of 13 states in the country.
He further explained that within these areas, 22,666 households have suffered partial damage to their homes, while 5,358 households have experienced complete destruction of their residences.
According to him, the floods have inflicted damage on agricultural lands, with 9,179 hectares partially destroyed and 8,754 hectares totally ruined.
While he explained the measures taken by the agency, he stated that NEMA has taken proactive measures to address this crisis by initiating a comprehensive assessment of the flood situation in Adamawa.
This, he said, included the activation of an emergency operation center to coordinate intervention efforts in the affected areas.
He added that the persistent flooding and its resulting consequences underscore the pressing need for ongoing efforts to mitigate the impact of these disasters and provide support to the affected communities.
Akingbade said, “The flooding in Adamawa has impacted a lot of people and communities. At the EOC meeting, we recommended that all states activate their flood response plans.
“Also, we are also awaiting a detailed needs assessment report from Adamawa so as to know the appropriate areas to focus our attention.”
The NEMA official stated that the WASH sector must be well-prepared, and that collaborative responsibility is required to lessen the impact of emergency events in the country.
