Flooding: Katsina Receives N3 Billion Support from FG

•Complete Dasin Hausa Dam to absorb excess water from Lagdo Dam, House urges FG

•MSF expresses worry over increasing malnutrition cases in northern Nigeria

Francis Sardauna in Katsina, Juliet Akoje in Abuja and Segun Awofadeji in Bauchi

Governor Dikko Radda of Katsina State, Tuesday, said the state government had received N3 billion support from the federal government to tackle the devastating effect of flooding in the state.

Radda, who announced the provision while flagging off financial assistance to flood victims in the state, said the widespread flood had ravaged several local government areas.

He said homes, farmlands, roads, and public utilities had been severely damaged by the devastating effect of the natural disaster, leaving thousands of residents homeless with worsening environmental degradation.

Relatedly, the House of Representatives urged the federal government to expedite the completion of the Dasin Hausa Dam in Adamawa State to help absorb excess water released from the Lagdo Dam. The House also sought the rehabilitation of critical infrastructure in flood-prone areas in the country

The lower chamber mandated the Nigerian/Cameroon Friendship Group to investigate the Nigerian/Cameroon agreement on the Lagdo Dam and mitigation measures, and advise the House within two weeks for further legislative action.

Meanwhile, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) said following the devastating flood in some parts of northern Nigeria, especially Borno and other north-eastern states, there had been an increase in child malnutrition cases across healthcare centres where its officials were rendering services.

MSF also lamented that despite the harvest season across the sub-region, the number of malnourished patients being admitted in hospitals was increasing.

Responding to the flood disaster in his state, Radda said, “Recognising the calamity of the situation, the federal government has stepped in to provide more needed assistance as part of the federal government’s intervention of about N3 billion to the state government. This funding is aimed at providing relief to the victims and helping them rebuild their lives.”

He explained that after a careful verification process by the technical committee inaugurated by the state government to ascertain the effect of the flood, it was established that 1,067 persons were seriously affected by the natural disaster.

Radda stated that out of the 1,067 victims, 439, whose homes were completely smashed by the flood, would each receive N600,000 each, while 628 victims, whose homes had significant damage, would receive N300,000 each.

He added that the state government had procured N200 million worth of building materials to be distributed to 1,772 victims, whose houses were partially damaged, to build their homes and restore their livelihoods.

Radda stated, “The total financial support allocated to these victims stands at N451,800,000. In addition to monetary aid, the Katsina State government is equally committed to ensuring that those affected receive comprehensive support.”

He said his administration had earmarked N2.9 billion for emergency flood and erosion control projects across several locations in the state.

On their part, the federal lawmakers directed the Federal Ministry of Environment to undertake a comprehensive study of the impact of climate change and Lagdo Dam’s annual release on Nigeria’s riverine communities and develop an actionable flood management plan to protect lives and properties.

The resolution followed the adoption of a motion of urgent national importance on the need to investigate the recurrent flooding due to the opening of the Lagdo Dam, moved by Hon. O. K. Chinda at plenary on Tuesday.

While presenting the motion, Chinda stressed that the Lagdo Dam located on the Benue River in northern Cameroon, was built in 1982 primarily for irrigation and electricity generation.

He stated that every year, during the rainy season, the dam operators in Cameroon released excess water to prevent overflow, which inevitably flowed downstream into Nigeria, causing significant flooding in states along the river, including Borno, Adamawa, Benue, Taraba, Kogi, and beyond.

The lawmaker expressed worry over the recurrent loss of lives, displacement of communities, destruction of farmlands, livestock, and homes, and damage to critical infrastructure, such as roads, bridges, schools, and healthcare facilities, as a result of the flooding.

“Mindful that despite early warnings by the Nigerian authorities about the release of water from the Lagdo Dam, many communities remain unprepared and are left vulnerable to the devastating impacts of the floods,” the legislator noted.

He recalled that while the construction of a buffer dam, the proposed Dasin Hausa Dam in Adamawa State, was agreed upon in principle between Nigeria and Cameroon to help contain the excess water from Lagdo Dam, the project had remained stalled for years due to funding and bureaucratic delays.

Recognising the urgent need for the federal government to develop long-term solutions to mitigate the effect of the annual flooding and protect vulnerable communities along the River Benue and Niger basins, Chinda urged swift actions to engage relevant stakeholders, both within and outside Nigeria, to mitigate the annual disasters and to provide lasting solutions for affected communities.

Without such actions, he said the situation will persist annually with each year worse than the former, thus, diminishing the confidence of the people in the leaders.

The House, in its resolution, urged the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), in collaboration with State Emergency Management Agencies (SEMAs) in the affected states, to henceforth enhance early warning systems and improve evacuation and relief efforts for communities in flood-prone areas prior to the flood.

A signed press statement made available to journalists yesterday by MSF International President, Dr. Christos Christou, said, “But this year, at a time when the peak is supposed to be over, the number of patients admitted to the hospital is not going down. Worse, the condition in which they arrive is even more severe than usual.”

MSF stated, “Very often, people don’t have access even to basic medical care where they live, and do not have enough money or available transport. As a result, they reach to us too late.”

Christou explained that, presently, many organisations, which were providing support in Maiduguri and other parts of the north, had had to reduce their budgets or even stop their operations.

He said for the past few years, MSF had seen significant increase in the number of admissions for malnutrition, adding that the numbers in 2022 and 2023 are already critically high.

“But between January to August this year, we have seen a 51 per cent increase in admissions of children with severe malnutrition, compared to the same period last year,” the MSF international president pointed out.

He said over the first eight months of this year, MSF treated 52,725 children with severe malnutrition, a life-threatening condition, across northern Nigeria.

He said aside that, outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases, such as measles, one of the leading causes of death of children, were recurrent in Nigeria.

“Between January-August this year alone, we had already treated over 12,500 cases of measles. That’s nearly double the same period last year,” MSF said.

It stated that outbreaks of infectious diseases significantly increased mortality risks for children under the age of five, while unvaccinated children in this age group were particularly vulnerable to vaccine-preventable diseases, which elevated the risk of acute malnutrition.