Heavy flood may hit FCT, Bayelsa, Rivers, others from Sept 6, NIHSA predicts

Heavy flood may hit the Federal Capital Territory, Rivers state, Bayelsa and others beginning from September, the Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency (NIHSA) predicts.

This was disclosed by the agency while addressing newsmen on Tuesday, August 25.

The  Director-General of NIHSA, Clement Nze said the Middle Niger of the River Niger Basin is currently flooded and the magnitude of flood from that area is expected to arrive in Nigeria through Kebbi State from September 6, 2020.

He said parts of 275 local government areas in the 36 states of the federation, including Abuja, were within the moderately probable flood risk areas, while the remaining 397 local government areas were within the low probable flood risks areas.

Nze said at least 102 local government areas in 28 states fall within the highly probable flood risk areas.

He added that River Niger Basin covered nine countries of Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Chad, Cote D’Ivoire, Guinea, Mali, Niger and Nigeria which is at the lowest portion of the basin.

“The red alert points to imminent river flooding in Nigeria. Both the Kainji and Jebba dams have commenced spilling water downstream.

This means that once the upper catchment of the basin gets flooded, Nigeria should be prepared to experience flooding incidents.

As of today, the Middle Niger of the Niger Basin made up of Niger, Benin, Burkina Faso and part of Mali, have been flooded. The flood levels at the hydrological stations monitored in Niamey and Malanville (Benin Republic) have got to the red alert zone.

Latest information received by the NIHSA from the regional Niger Basin Authority headquarters in Niamey had it that as of Sunday, August 23, 2020, the flood level of the River Niger monitored in Niamey was 6.60 metres.”

He said with this development, these state namely: Kebbi, Niger, Kwara, Nasarawa, Kogi, Anambra, Delta, Edo, Rivers, and Bayelsa, might experience heavy flooding from around September 6, 2020.