Residents of Akute, Isheri, Mowe, Ibafo, Riverside Estate, and other border settlements between Lagos and Ogun states have been warned by the Ogun State Government to leave to escape calamity brought on by yet another bout of floods.
Ola Oresanya, the state’s commissioner for the environment, issued a warning during a press conference on Wednesday in the capital city of Ogun State, Abeokuta.
According to The PUNCH, there have been numerous flooding events that have caused damage and loss of life.
Oresanya said that the need for the warning arose as a result of the Nigerian Meteorological Agency’s forecast for a flood alert in the state in 2023.
Oresanya claims that the coastal flooding in the affected areas will be caused by the Ogun River’s tidal lock by Lagos Lagoon due to a rise in sea level and the potential discharge of too much water from the Oyan dam.
Residents of the state should be prepared for flash floods because the state is expected to get 3,646mm of rain between April and November, warned Oresanya.
He remembered that in 2022, the nation had its worst-ever floods, which resulted in over 600 fatalities and the displacement of 2.4 million people.
The state also issued urgent warnings to inhabitants of 23 other flood-prone municipalities to take preventative measures to lessen the effects of flooding.
Residents should avoid taking actions that could put them at risk of flooding, Oresanya advised.
Residents are encouraged to resist the urge to construct on run-off paths, place temporary buildings and containers, or expand their company space over drains in markets and public areas, he said.
