Awe: The Nasarawa State Emergency Management Agency (NASEMA) has advised residents of flood-prone communities across the state to relocate to higher ground to avert loss of lives and property. Mr. Benjamin Akwash, Director-General of the Agency, gave the advice during a three-day advocacy and sensitisation campaign on the Early Warning and Response Mechanism in flood-prone areas.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, the sensitisation exercise followed the 2024 seasonal rainfall prediction by the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet), which listed Nasarawa among states at high risk of flooding. Akwash called on stakeholders, including traditional rulers, to support the awareness campaign by using their influence in the palaces and communities to encourage residents to adopt precautionary measures.
The NASEMA boss identified the most flood-prone Local Government Areas (LGAs) as Awe, Doma, Nasarawa, and Toto, which share boundaries with the River Benue. He also mentioned that parts of Lafia, Karu, Akwanga, Keffi, and Wamba LGAs could experience flash floods during the season. He urged affected residents to heed the warnings and relocate from vulnerable locations, stressing the importance of being alive to achieve goals and aspirations.
Akwash highlighted that NiMet had earlier predicted that over 200 LGAs across the country are likely to experience varying degrees of flooding. In Nasarawa, the areas most at risk are due to their proximity to the River Benue. The Agency embarks on early warning and sensitisation campaigns across the affected areas to educate riverine communities on the need to move from unsafe to safer locations.
He noted that NASEMA is working in collaboration with the state Ministry of Environment, and the Ministry of Women Affairs and Humanitarian Services to provide relief to those recently affected by flooding. Mr. Jerry Danjuma-Kuje, Secretary of the Nigerian Red Cross Society, Nasarawa Chapter, emphasized the importance of heeding early warning messages and prioritising evacuation to safeguard lives and property.
In his remarks, the Andoma of Doma, Alhaji Ahmadu Oga-Onawo, described the sensitisation campaign as timely, given the recurrent destruction caused by flooding in Doma and other parts of the state. He urged district heads to pass the message down to their subjects and called on the state government to prioritise flood mitigation by constructing drainage systems and providing swift response to affected communities.
Similarly, the Sarkin Tunga, Alhaji Muhammad Ibrahim-Shuaibu IV, commended NASEMA for its early warning efforts, noting that the Tunga community had suffered repeated flooding due to the annual release of water from the Lagdo dam in Cameroon. He appealed to the federal and state governments to construct a refugee camp and rehabilitate the Awe-Tunga road, calling it a crucial route that connects Nasarawa to Taraba, Plateau, and Benue states.