FG to Establish National Flood Management Council

Folalumi Alaran in Abuja

The federal government through the Ministry of Water Resources has proposed the establishment of a National Flood management Council (NFMC).

The Council would be domiciled in the office of the Vice president of Nigeria.

Speaking yesterday, in Abuja, the Chairman of the presidential committee on management of floods and disasters in Nigeria who is also the Minister of Water Resources, Sulieman Adamu, explained that the council’s primary responsibility would be to advise the president on all matters related to flood management, including the declaration of a state of emergency based on the categorisation of floods.

President Muhammadu Buhari had in November 2022, inaugurated a presidential committee saddled with the development of a comprehensive action plan for preventing flood disasters in the country.

The president had mandated the Minister of Water Resources to fashion out ways of preventing flood disasters in Nigeria within 90 days.

The committee, in its bid to complete the presidential assignment, said they have identified ten key strategies to address the incessant flooding across the country.

The minister explained: “The president on the advice of the NFMC, shall declare a state of emergency when a category 4 ’Major flood’ flood occurs.”

He added, “Following a series of situational studies, analysis, field evaluations and key stakeholders’ interactions, the presidential committee identified 10 key strategies to address the incessant flooding across the country.

“The key Strategies are: Data Acquisition for integrated flood management, coordinated multi-sectoral flood early warning system, development of capacity on flood management, development and management of flood plains.”

The minister however said there was no short term in flood mitigation and that the estimated cost of implementing the ten strategic plan was N3.460 trillion.

“Flooding is the most common and expensive natural disaster in the world. Mitigation projects, which encompass a range of prevention solutions, are the most cost effective strategy for decreasing flood risk.

“According to a World Bank report on the 2022 flood, the total direct economic damage in Nigeria as at 25th November 2022, ranged from $3.79 billion to $ 9.12 billion with the best average of $6.68 billion and this is about N5 trillion, equivalent to 25% of the 2023 National Budget.” he said.