Nigeria has recorded above 603 deaths, while 2.5 million people have been affected as the flood spreads more havoc and sorrow.
At a media briefing in Abuja on Sunday, the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management, and Social Development, Sadiya Umar Farouq, disclosed this.
She warned State, local governments, and community leaders, especially in Delta, Cross River, Rivers, Bayelsa, and Anambra states, of the impending floods in the coming weeks and called on state governments to begin evacuating people living along water channels and other areas obstructing water flow.
Umar Farouq noted that despite efforts to avert the consequences of the flooding season of 2022 as the Nigerian Meteorological Agency forecast, many states didn't prepare for the floods. As a result, lives lost and property damaged had risen astronomically.
Unfortunately, over 603 lives have been lost. 2,504.095 persons have been affected; in total, 2,407 persons have been injured, 82,053 houses are completely damaged, and 121,318 are partially damaged.
108,392 hectares of farmland were partially destroyed, and 332,327 hectares were damaged, including roads and other critical infrastructure.
States like Rivers, Bayelsa, Anambra, Cross River, and Delta are being warned by Metrological Agencies to be at risk of experiencing floods till November end.
We are calling on State Governments, Communities, and Local Government Councils to prepare for more flooding by evacuating the people living on flood plains to high grounds, providing tents and relief materials, fresh water, and medical supplies for a possible outbreak of water-borne diseases.
The Ministry has a high-powered delegation set up that is to visit State Governors to advocate more commitment to strengthen states' response mechanisms as stipulated in the National Flood Emergency Preparedness and Response Plan.
It is expected that stakeholders work within their respective mandates to prevent deaths due to flooding or other health-related diseases that may arise.
Next month, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Dr. Nasir Sani Gwarzo, is to lead a delegation to Cameroon, to discuss the periodic opening of the Lagdo dam.
Soon, the National Flood Emergency Preparedness and Response Plan will be implemented for better coordination of flood response protocol and a sectoral approach to flood management at the National and Sub-National levels.
Meanwhile, about 36 states and the FCT have received food and non-food items to mitigate various forms of disaster.
Alhaji Mustapha Habib Ahmed, the Director General of the National Emergency Management Agency, made this known at the briefing.
