By Emmanuel Oluwakorede
Kogi State Governor, Alhaji Yahaya Bello on Wednesday attended Launch of Nigeria Flood Impact, Recovery and Mitigation Assessment Report which was held at the UN House Abuja.
The report proffers solutions to the annual flood in Some States in the country.
The Document is panacea to mitigating the annual flood that ravages communities in the country as the survey sponsored by the United Nations Development Programme UNDP in partnership with National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) and National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) ascertain the effect of the 2022 flood in Kogi, Anambra, Delta, Bayelsa, Nasarawa and Jigawa States.
Speaking in a message to the launch, Gov. Yahaya Bello represented by the Commissioner of Environment, Chief Victor Omofaiye noted that the recommendations are important to bringing lasting solutions to the devastating effect of flood.
According to the Governor, his administration will study the report carefully with the view of implementing same in the State.
He stated that the introduction of embarkment system which is part of the recommendations in the report has been done in Kabawa, Lokoja which has reduced the effect of the disaster.
Governor Bello noted that the first phase of the embarkment has reached 95% completion, saying issues of flooding along the Kabawa-Nataco axis will become a thing of the past if the second phase is completed.
“Kogi State, like many others, has experienced the impact of floods, and we remain committed to working hand in hand with national and international partners to build resilient communities.
“The Government of Kogi State acknowledges the importance of informed decision-making in disaster management. The insights gained from this survey will undoubtedly guide our policies and actions as we strive to protect our communities, mitigate risks, and enhance our overall disaster preparedness.
He commended the UNDP, NBS and NEMA for embarking on the survey and for their interest in Kogi State.
The Deputy Director of Human Resource Management of NEMA, Mr. Martins Ejike urged flood prone states to emulate the embarkment system of Kogi State Government as part of measures to mitigate the adverse effect of flood in their respective States.
Mr. Ejike advised Nigerians to insure their businesses, houses and farmlands to enable them recover easily in case of flood disaster.
Earlier in his remarks, the Resident Representative, UNDP, Mr. Mohamed Yahya noted that only six states were selected due to lack of funds, saying other states would be added in the survey as soon as funds are available.
He commended NBS and NEMA for the collaboration, adding that the survey was part of the commitment of UNDP to providing permanent solution to flood in Nigeria.
