The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), on Thursday, August 15, 2024, has said that 32,837 homes in 27 states across the country have been damaged by floods.
The Agency also stated that 16,488 hectares of farmland.
In a warning issued by Manzo Ezekiel, NEMA’s spokesperson, NEMA urged residents living in flood-prone communities across the 27 Nigerian states to start relocating.
Mr Ezekiel also noted that a mobilised search and rescue teams are distributing essential relief supplies in partnership with State Emergency Management Agencies (SEMAs).
He said, “27 states in Nigeria have been impacted by recent floods, affecting 227,494 individuals and damaging 32,837 houses and 16,488 hectares of farmland.
“NEMA is conducting assessments and deploying relief items to support affected communities,” Mr Ezekiel said.
Also, the Director General of NEMA, Zubaida Umar, emphasised urgency for communities in flood-prone areas to relocate to higher ground as the rainy season progressed.
Umar called for an increased public awareness on proper waste management that could help prevent future flooding.
He said, “The agency emphasises the importance of public awareness on waste management to prevent flooding and advises at-risk communities to relocate to safer areas.”
