zThe Nigerian Meteorological Agency -NiMet, and the Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency -NIHSA, have warned of more flooding in the country, especially in the North Central, South East, and the South Western States.
This was announced by the Director-General of NiMet, Prof. Mansur Bako Matazu, and the Director-General of the Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency -NIHSA, Mr. Clement Nze, at the opening ceremony of the workshop on Hydro-meteorological status and outlook system (HydroSOS).
According to Matazu, the high-intensity rains together with the dams being let open will lead to a lot more floods.
He had said:
“Recall that we issued the warning forecast in February and we followed up with the monthly updates that we’re going to have above-normal rainfall in most of the country. So in terms of the rainfall-induced floods, we’ve seen the peak but remember that this rainwater gets collected into the reservoirs and dams, and whenever they are filled, it spilled. So, on the 13th of September, the Lagbo Dam was released along with the Kainji and Shiroro dams. So, what we’re witnessing now is riverine flooding.”
Matazu who noted that the flood was primarily caused by rainfall and not the released dams, added that this has been heightened by people who built on flood plains, and the rise in water levels in the River Niger and Benue respectively.
