Most of Nigeria at risk from flood disasters: Minister

By Adam Abu-bashal

ABUJA, Nigeria (AA) – Nigeria’s minister of water resources warned Thursday that most regions of the country are at high risk of flooding.

Suleiman Adamu in a statement said that 32 out of 36 provinces in the country may face severe storms and floods, noting there may be food shortages in these regions.

Adamu also called for preventive measures to increase security in the regions and reduce loss of life and property.

In the country in the tropical climate zone, the average annual precipitation varies regionally.

In 2019, a total of 277,555 people were affected by floods and 158 were killed. In 2020, the number of those affected by floods rose to over 2.35 million, resulting in the deaths of 69 people, according to Muhammadu Muhammed, the former head of Nigeria’s National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA).

*Writing and contributions by Jeyhun Aliyev from Ankara, Turkiye