Bauchi, Gombe, Jigawa scale up flood mitigation campaign

Bauchi, Gombe, Jigawa scale up flood mitigation campaign

Stakeholders in the environment sector have intensified sensitisation activities to create awareness to the dangers and mitigation measures to avert perennial flooding in Bauchi, Gombe and Jigawa. 

The state governments in partnership with the Federal Government and development organisations also initiated viable environmental control measures to mitigate the disaster.

The stakeholders including government officials, environmentalists and residents, stated this while responding to a survey by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), on flood mitigation.

The Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) predicted flooding in 18 states including Bauchi, Gombe and Jigawa, in its 2025 Seasonal Climate Prediction (SCP).

Perennial flooding is ravaging communities and the environment due to the abundance of water bodies and rivers traversing across the states including the Hadejia – Jama’are River.

Over the years, the disaster is negatively impacting food supply, environmental sustainability, loss of lives, farmlands, livestocks, livelihoods and displaced millions of people, especially in  rural areas. 

Statistics of the Gombe State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), showed that flood destroyed  2,117 houses in 2024.

Mr Ibrahim Nalado, the Director, Relief and Rehabilitation of the agency, said the houses were destroyed in 27 communities in Funakaye, Dukku, Kwami, Yamaltu Deba, Akko, Billiri and Kaltungo Local Government Areas of the State.

He said that three persons sustained varying degrees of injuries in the disaster.

To mitigate the disaster, Nalado said the agency was conducting sensitisation activities in three flood areas to be impacted more this season.

According to Nalado, the agency in collaboration with stakeholders is conducting awareness creation on the disaster in Funakaye, Yamaltu/Deba and Dukku, to mitigate its impacts.

Nalado said  the state government in partnership with National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and North East Development Commission (NEDC), provided relief materials to the affected communities in 2024.

He advised residents of the state to clear drains and shun indiscriminate dumping of waste on waterways. 

Also, Ummunah Ahmad, the Head of Operations, NEMA, Gombe State Office, said the agency had supplied relief materials for distribution to flood victims.

Ahmad said the state government emphasised the need for planning and preparation towards mitigating its  impact, and advised people in flood prone communities to relocate to high areas.

Similarly, the Jigawa state government has deployed  amphibious excavators to desilt Hadejia River and other water bodies to mitigate flooding in the state.

Read Also: Court to hear suit filed by scavengers, beggars against Wike May…

The excavators were being used in dredging and clearing typhar grass ravaging the river.

Mr Hamza Muhammad, Chairman, Jigawa Committee on Flood Control, said the state government adopted proactive measures to avert flooding.

He said the measure was necessary to effectively response to the disaster based on NiMet predictions.

“The amphibious excavators are used to conduct dredging while afloat on soft terrain such as swamp, wetlands and shallow waters.

“This is to ensure free flow of water in the river to avoid flooding,” he said.

He said that Gov. Umar Namadi directed the committee to expedite clearing exercise and fix  critical areas damaged or affected by the disaster in 2024.

Muhammad said the governor also ordered the committee to complete all preparations to mitigate the disaster.

The chairman said the committee undertook a tour of the communities in flood prone areas, to  enable it to make adequate preparations to effectively mitigate the disaster.

“We have also commenced river dredging, clearance, realignment and expansion of both sides of the rivers to ease free flow of water. 

“Two of the amphibious excavators are currently working along Birniwa – Guri axis and others along Miga – Kafin Hausa axis of the river.

“The dyke construction is four-metre wide by 3.5 metre height across the flood prone communities,” he said.

According to Muhammad, the state government is constructing dykes and embankments from upstream, midstream and downstream, adding that the projects is being implemented  incommunities ravaged by the disaster last season.

Similarly; the Bauchi State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), said that the state government adopted proactive measures to mitigate the  recurrent disaster in the state.

Mr Neyola Adamu, Director, Relief and Rehabilitation of the agency, said the NiMet’s SCP outlook did not indicate a specific area to be hit by the disaster this season.

“NiMet SCP indicates that 14 LGAs  will experience drought for about 21 days within the months of June, July and August.

“We however advised communities in  lowlands  to vacate to higher grounds,” he said.