The Federal Government of Nigeria, on Thursday, inaugurated the Presidential Committee for the Development of a Comprehensive Plan of Action for preventing flood disasters in the country.
President Muhammadu Buhari had authorised the Minister of Water Resources, Suleiman Adamu, to fashion out modalities for preventing flood disasters in Nigeria within 90 days.
Adamu said it was no longer news that the recent 2022 floods had thrown several communities into hardship, submerged homes and destroyed properties estimated at billions of naira.
He added that flooding incidences in Nigeria had been caused mainly by overflow of silted rivers and poor drainage systems from localised rainfalls, generating flash flooding in urban areas.
“Members of the presidential committee being inaugurated today are seasoned professionals and bureaucrats who have been selected from across the MDAs, states and professional organisations.
“You have been adjudged to have, in one way or the other, contributed immensely to the water resources, environmental, agricultural and other sectors of the country.
“I urge you to consider your nomination into this committee as a privilege and another opportunity to serve and contribute toward safeguarding the lives and wellbeing of our people who can be affected by flood in future,” he said.
Anambra State Deputy Governor, Dr Onyekachi Ibezim, said that his state had suffered huge losses from the 2022 floods, as it affected one-third of its local government areas.
He said the state government was deliberating on using excess water from flooding for hydropower generation, saying that the setting up of the committee was timely.
