The Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA) has called on governments at all levels to invest in prevention and the necessary infrastructure to address the root causes of flooding.

CAPPA director of programmes, Philip Jakpor, in a statement issued in Abuja on Thursday, gave the advice following the recent weather forecast for 2023 released by Nigeria Meteorological Agency (NiMET).

Mr Jakpor said the NiMET forecasts warned of massive variation in the onset of rainfall in most parts of the country.

“According to NiMET, as early as March, the coastal zone of the South-South states of Bayelsa, Rivers, and Akwa Ibom will observe unpleasant rainfall changes. Central states are likely to wait till May while Katsina, Zamfara, Kano, Jigawa, Yobe, Cross River, Ebonyi, Imo, and Rivers will experience delayed onset of rainfall,” Mr Jakpor stated. “For Sokoto, Kebbi, Zamfara, Kano, Katsina, Jigawa, Yobe and Borno, the rains will not begin until June and July. Only Adamawa, Bauchi, Gombe, Kwara Gombe, Kwara, Oyo, Ogun, and Lagos will be near normal but with a worrisome quantity.”

He added, “NiMET added that the noticeable increase in climate change and human-triggered activities, including indiscriminate dumping of wastes, will cause more floods in 2023 and that the waters will come in high intensity within a short duration.’’

The CAPPA programme officer said the 2022 floods, which ravaged many states of the federation and its attendant loss of lives and economic toll put at over N4 trillion, came with an avoidable tragedy that must not repeat itself.

He explained that the flood resulted in displacement, hunger, and scarcity hence the need for all hands to be on deck, noting that “The federal and state intervention agencies, like the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and their state-level counterparts, should work seamlessly in addressing conflicts of the past.”

CAPPA executive director Akinbode Oluwafemi commended NIMET for the timely warning, which should enable federal and state levels planning to begin.

“We are, however, worried that nothing seems to have changed since the 2022 flood at federal and state levels,” stated Mr Oluwafemi. “The lackadaisical attitudes that led to the loss of lives and property are still with us even though the 2022 floods affected about 20 states, killed about 603 people, and rendered more than 1.3 million homeless, while over 108,393 hectares of farmlands were destroyed with attendant effects on food security, the economy, health, security, and the environment and that affected Nigerians are still battling with.’’

To forestall any repeat, the CAPPA chief called on federal and state governments to respond to the early warning systems with synergy.

“There is a need for the government to dredge major rivers to accommodate high volumes of water and to promote inland waterways,’’ Mr Oluwafemi said, stressing that Nigerians must not be allowed to suffer needlessly.

“Now is the time for intervention ahead of the rains and the flooding that will follow. Delay is not only dangerous, but it is also costly,’’ he added. 

(NAN)