• Dam
• Flooding
• Niger State

CATASTROPHIC FLOODING LOOMS AS NIGER STATE DAMS SET TO RELEASE EXCESS WATER

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  CapitalTimesNews / 2 months
• 0
• 2 min read

The four major hydro-electric dams in Niger State – Shiroro, Jebba, Kainji, and Zungeru – have warned of an imminent release of excess water, prompting the Niger State Emergency Management Agency (NSEMA) to alert riverine communities to relocate to higher grounds immediately. Director-General of NSEMA, Abdullahi Baba Arah, described the potential flooding as “catastrophic”, stating the dams are releasing thousands of gallons of water per minute, which could lead to overflowing of Rivers Niger and Kaduna. “The dams are releasing thousands of gallons of water per minute, which could lead to overflowing of these rivers. We therefore caution communities to limit activities around riverbanks during this peak rainy season. People in flood-prone areas should move to safer locations already identified,” Arah declared in a statement issued in Minna. NSEMA has identified several local government areas likely to be affected, including Lavun, Magama, Rafi, Kontagora, Gbako, Mokwa, Lapai, Katcha, Agaie, Suleja, Shiroro, Mashegu, Agwara, Bida, Edati, Munya, Bosso, Chanchaga, Paikoro, and Wushishi. Arah disclosed lives had already been lost in these areas, though specific figures weren’t provided. The Nigerian Hydrological Services has also advised communities along Rivers Niger and Kaduna to relocate immediately. According to Arah, parts of Niger State are already experiencing negative impacts of flooding, with houses, farmlands, bridges, and roads washed away, displacing residents and disrupting socio-economic activities. In response to the crisis, the Mokwa Flood Relief Support Group has offered financial assistance to victims in Mokwa Local Government Area. The group presented cheques to sponsor 88 children displaced by flooding and funded training for 41 widows and children in skills like tailoring, catering, and soap making. “The initiative aimed to ease the hardship faced by survivors,” said Ahmed Nasir, Chairman of the group and a retired Assistant Controller General of Customs. “The floods had forced many children out of school, while widows struggled to care for their families,” Nasir noted. The Ndalele of Mokwa, Muhammadu Shaba Aliyu, praised the group’s support, while Suleiman Jibrin, Principal of Hakimi Aliyu Secondary School, Mokwa, promised to maximize the sponsorship for affected pupils’ benefit.