…Report
By Ukpono Ukpong
Communities situated within the River Niger Basin have been warned of the impending flood this year.
This was revealed in the 2024 Regional Climate Outlook Forum report presented in Abuja.
The report presented at the end of the Regional Climate Outlook Forum for West Africa sub-region and the Sahel revealed that there will be extreme rainfall in the region
Summarizing the report, the Head of Information and Research Department in AGRHYMET, Dr. Abdou Ali, said warned those within the flood risk areas to take the warning very serious.
“So, in terms of river flows, because river flows is an indications of flooding so in many rivers, for example, the Senegal rivers, the upstream of the Senegal rivers, the Niger River, so this is the middle part of Niger Republic.
“Also at the border of Niger Republic and Nigeria, it is expected to have above the current situation. So, this could be subject to flooding.
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“But in the order area, let’s say the downstream and the Benue area, so it is expected to have an average situation in this area. It is not like an extreme or in terms of higher or lower, but the situation is expected to be average. So these are the overall situations for the upcoming seasons. It’s really expected to have globally more rainfall, more discharge. “There are some specific areas that are subject to drought, but there are not too many.”
In his speech, the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, said that the Federal government takes seriously the issuance of early warnings for its citizens to de-risk sectoral activities and avert losses.
While describing the report of the Regional Climate Outlook Forum for West Africa and the Sahel as a great planning tool for governments and policymakers across the region, the Minister said that it has become imperative that weather and climate information are not only accurate but also produced and disseminated early, thus the need for early warnings.
“It is based on this that the Nigerian Government deemed it fit to provide all the necessary support through the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet), the Nigerian Hydrological Services Agency (NIHSA) and AGRHYMET Regional Center to host this year’s forum here in Abuja.
“Like most countries in the region, Nigeria is also affected by the devastating effects of extreme weather and climate events. We are presently experiencing extreme temperatures and heat stress in most parts of the country. In 2022, we had one of the worst cases of flooding in decades. For weeks, the movement of people and goods between the Northern and Southern parts of the country was severely disrupted. By the end of that flood period, millions of people had lost their homes and livelihoods, properties worth millions of Dollars had been destroyed, investments in farms and other agricultural products had disappeared, and lives had been lost.
“It could have been worse but, for the early warning information provided by NiMet and the Nigerian Hydrological Services Agency (NIHSA). “This underscores the importance of the work that you have all done over the past few days, culminating into today’s communication.”
He said that just as the general airspace is a continuum in aviation, weather and climate events are also transboundary, hence the need for countries to work together irrespective of boundaries.
“In keeping with our commitment to support regional efforts to mitigate the impact of climate change and encourage climate and climate-smart sustainable development, the Government of Nigeria will continue to support regional efforts, such as the successful hosting of this year’s regional climate outlook forum , in ensuring socio-economic development of the people.
“As we return home to our various countries with the information and forecast from this year’s forum, we should ensure that these products don’t end up inside the shiny offices in our capital cities. The real work of downscaling them to our local and rural communities just started. This is the only way the United Nations’ target of Early Warning for All (EW4ALL) by 2027 can be met.” He said.
