Photo credit: PUNCH

The Federal Government has raised alarm over the vulnerability of 148 Local Government Areas (LGAs) in 31 states across the nation, identifying them as high flood-risk areas. This disclosure came during a presentation in Abuja by the Minister of Water Resources, Prof Joseph Utsev, who presented the general highlights of the 2024 Annual Flood Outlook prepared by the Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency on Tuesday.

According to Utsev, the high flood-risk areas include LGAs in states such as Adamawa, Akwa-Ibom, Anambra, Bauchi, Bayelsa, Benue, Borno, Cross River, Delta, Ebonyi, Edo, Imo, Jigawa, Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Kebbi, Kogi, Kwara, Lagos, Nasarawa, Niger, Ogun, Ondo, Osun, Oyo, Plateau, Rivers, Sokoto, Taraba, and Yobe. These areas are expected to experience floods between April and November 2024.

In addition to the high-risk areas, the minister highlighted that part of the 249 LGAs in 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) fall within the moderate flood risk zones. He, however, did not list the areas under the moderate-risks flooding.

The announcement serves as a timely warning for residents and authorities in the identified areas to take proactive measures to mitigate the potential impact of flooding. With the onset of the rainy season, it is imperative for communities to be adequately prepared and equipped to minimize loss of lives and property.