ActionAid Nigeria (AAN), has urged Akwa-Ibom, Bayelsa, Cross-Rivers, Delta, Kogi, Edo, Lagos, Ogun, Ondo, and Rivers states to develop and activate contingency plan of action to mitigate looming disaster following the 2022 floods.
They also urged other non coastal states that are susceptible to floods like Jigawa, Adamawa, Kano, Zamfara, Ebonyi, Yobe to activate their flood preparedness plan and communicate same to likely communities to be affected to minimize possible losses..
Speaking at a press conference on the looming floods in Abuja, the Country Director, Ene Obi, appealed to federal and state governments, emergency management agencies and all concerned stakeholders to ensure that their contingency plans and intervention on flood this year is commensurate with the level of impact.
She said, “Now is time for Nigeria, particularly states that were heavily hit last year particularly Bayelsa, Jigawa, Anambra, Cross River, Akwa Ibom, Lagos, Abia, Edo amongst others to activate there flood preparedness plan and communicate same to likely communities to be affected to minimize possible losses.”
She recalled that in 2022, Nigeria experienced the worse flood in a decade, with about 1.4 million people across 31 states affected, over 700,000 people displaced and an estimated 500 deaths recorded.
She pointed out that the annual displacement of people from the communities and severe losses across Nigeria because of flood is deepening poverty levels of states and of Nigerians and also undermining efforts of all stakeholders in ensuring rights to schools and quality health care because schools and health centres serve as IDP camps during the difficult
Obi who was represented by the Director Programs ActionAid, Suweba Dakwanbo, urged all tiers of government and other actors to strengthen rapid response mechanisms including effective coordination of response
While noting that Preventing the flood disaster and its implications on lives and livelihoods is a collective responsibility of all, with the Nigerian government in the leading space they called on government at all levels to play the leading role in mitigating effects of this disaster on citizens.
The Country Director said, “We want to see government leading in anticipatory action and contingency planning with nongovernmental organizations, corporate organisations, philanthropic individuals, and other stakeholders actively participating.”
Also, ActionAid Resilience program coordinator, David Abah, urged state houses of assembly to be proactive during emergency response, stressing that government must always play leading roles so that donor organizations, civil societies can follow suit.