The attention of the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) has been drawn to official predictions of impending floods in riverine and other flood-prone areas of Nigeria during the 2025 rainy season. According to the Nigerian Hydrological Services, the floods are expected to affect 1,249 communities, across 176 local government areas in 30 states, 16 of which (states) in the North, plus the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
Communities without adequate preparations typically experience deaths, destruction of farmlands, public and private property damage, disruptions to means of livelihoods, food shortages, etc. For 2025, the floods could not come at worst of times, given the dire economic and other existential constraints that citizens have been living with.
The Federal Government (FGN) has launched sensitisation campaigns to alert on the impending phenomenon and the need for proactive measures to avert or minimise losses from the impending floods. Commendable as the measure is, the campaign is yet to be visible even as the rainy season has begun in earnest in most parts of the country.
ACF calls on relevant federal, state and local government ministries and agencies to key-in to the campaigns. Emergency response and humanitarian relief agencies, aid organisations, etc., should stock-up on food, medications, safe drinking water, and other resources with which to serve all who may come to need. Where ne Federal and public emergency response and humanitarian relief agencies, first responders, aid organisations, etc., to stock-up on food, medications, safe drinking water, and other resources with which to serve all who may come to necessary, vulnerable communities and persons should be assisted with the preparations. ACF also calls on:
- public agencies to ensure the completion of repairs to damaged infrastructure, roads, bridges, public buildings including schools, medical facilities, markets, etc.;
- the authorities to ensure strict enforcement of regulatory planning, authorisations, relevant building codes, town regional and environmental regulations. Incompetence, deliberate misconduct, dereliction, quackery, compromises and other corrupt practices must not go unpunished; and
- all citizens to observe sound environmental and hygienic practices, strictly adhere to regulatory codes, laws and regulations, desist from blocking drainages and water channels and indiscriminate damping of refuse in unauthorised places.
Prof. T. A. Muhammad-Baba
National Publicity Secretary