House of Reps Urges Federal Government to Dredge Dams, Implement Flood Control Measures
The House of Representatives has urged the Federal Ministries of Water Resources and Environment to direct the Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency to implement measures aimed at preventing flooding across Nigeria.
The call follows the adoption of a motion sponsored by Mohammed Shehu, representing Zaki Federal Constituency in Bauchi State after recent severe flooding claimed lives and destroyed properties in several states including Borno, Yobe, Adamawa, and Zamfara.
The House emphasized the importance of dredging major dams and rivers to mitigate the impact of flooding, which has devastated farmlands and impacted food security.
Shehu pointed out that the government’s failure to adequately assist farmers and address drainage issues has worsened flood control efforts and led to significant economic losses.
He highlighted that countries like the U.S., U.K., and South Africa have implemented effective flood control strategies, which Nigeria should emulate to safeguard its environment and promote economic development through increased food production.
The House also expressed concern over recurring floods that have caused farmers to lose crops worth billions of naira, as noted by statistics from the National Bureau of Statistics showing that over N2.8 trillion in crops were lost between 2018 and 2020 due to flooding.
Speaker Tajudeen Abbas mandated the House Committees on Water Resources, Environment, and Agricultural Production to work with the Ministries of Water Resources, Agriculture, and Food Security to propose solutions and report back within four weeks.
Meanwhile, more than three million children in Borno State, Northeast Nigeria, have been left without access to education as schools are closed indefinitely following the worst floods in the region in over 30 years, Save the Children reports.
The crisis has heightened concerns about child marriage, child labour, and other protection risks as displaced families struggle to cope with the aftermath.
The catastrophic floods, which submerged large parts of Maiduguri, have displaced over 400,000 people, forcing tens of thousands of children into overcrowded displacement camps and school buildings that were spared from the destruction.
