The Nigerian Meteorological Agency, NiMet, has predicted excessive rainfall in the northern states of Katsina, Borno,Sokoto, Kano, Jigawa, Gombe, Yobe, Bauchi and Adamawa, which is likely to make them experience flooding in August, September and October this year.
Director-General of the agency, Professor Mansur Matazu, stated this while addressing newsmen at NiMet’s headquarters, Abuja, yesterday.
According to him, parts of Kebbi, Zamfara, Kaduna, Nasarawa, Taraba and Yobe states face medium risk of experiencing flooding within the same period.
Matazu also identified the South-Western states of Lagos, Ogun, Osun, Oyo and parts of Ekiti and Edo states as areas likely to experience normal to abnormal rainfall within the same period.
While normal rainfall conditions are expected in Kaduna, Adamawa, Oyo and parts of Gombe and Ondo states, the NiMet’s DG noted that the South-South and South-East states of Bayelsa, Rivers, Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Abia, Imo, Anambra, Ebonyi and Enugu were likely to witness normal to below normal rainfall conditions in the next three months.
While calling on state and national emergency management agencies to intensify adaptation, mitigation and response mechanisms, the NiMet boss enjoined states experiencing varying degrees of flood episodes to “begin their awareness campaigns through field extension workers for possible response activities especially at high risk areas.”
He also called for implementation of measures to prevent mudslide disasters by relevant authorities, especially in the South-East.
Professor Matazu, while acknowledging the place of traditional weather forecasting with a degree of accuracy, however, ruled out claims of possible rainfall through witchcraft.
He blamed negligence of hydrological and meteorological information provided by the agency for most of environmental disasters, particularly flooding, experienced in some parts of the country recently.
