Niger Flooding: Northern senators seek permanent solution beyond emergency response

Senators representing Nigeria's 19 northern states and the Federal Capital Territory are urging for a permanent and coordinated strategy to address the persistent flooding issues in Niger State. The lawmakers emphasized that the recurring disaster in communities like Shiroro and Minna requires more than just annual emergency responses, calling on both the Federal and Niger State governments to adopt long-term preventative measures.

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The situation required more than annual emergency responses, urging the Federal and Niger State governments to adopt long-term measures to prevent loss of lives and property.

The call follows recent severe flooding across several local government areas in the state. Senator Abdulaziz Musa Yar’Adua, Chairman of the Northern Senators Forum (NSF), expressed condolences to the affected families, acknowledging the loss of loved ones, homes, farms, and businesses. While recognizing the efforts of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and the Niger State Emergency Management Agency (NSEMA) in assessing the damage, the forum highlighted that flooding in Shiroro and other riverine areas has become a chronic problem demanding immediate intervention and strategic planning.

The NSF recommended prompt distribution of relief materials and provision of temporary shelters with essential healthcare and sanitation facilities for verified victims. They also stressed the importance of deploying emergency evacuation teams and robust early-warning systems in flood-prone areas before the peak of the rainy season. The senators advised residents to adhere to safety advisories and refrain from constructing buildings on waterways or in other vulnerable locations.

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The forum sympathised with families who lost loved ones, homes, farms, businesses and sources of livelihood, while expressing concern over the hardship faced by displaced residents.

For long-term mitigation, the senators proposed the development of a comprehensive Shiroro Flood Management Master Plan. This plan should incorporate a scientifically determined flood-buffer operating strategy for the Shiroro, Kainji, and Jebba dams, alongside a permanent flood forecasting and early-warning system supported by trained local volunteers. Furthermore, the forum suggested a resettlement program that includes planned settlements, compensation, and livelihood support for displaced individuals. They also called for an independent technical review of dam operations, reservoir capacity, and spillway performance, considering climate change impacts, to optimize future water releases.

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flooding in Shiroro and other riverine communities had become a recurring problem that required both immediate intervention and long-term planning.