Expert Urges Government to Regulate Urban Development to Curb Flooding
The Head of the Geography Department, College of Education, Akwanga, Dr. Danjuma Inarigu, has called on governments at all levels to regulate urban development or risk worsening flood disasters.
He stated this while speaking in an interview with NBS News in Akwanga.
NiMet’s July outlook lists multiple states at high risk, with heavy downpours expected to trigger flash floods in low-lying and poorly drained areas.
The Head of the Department of Geography, College of Education, Akwanga, Dr. Danjuma Inarigu, who was reacting to the recent NiMet forecast, warned that several areas would experience flooding in July.
He said unplanned construction, blocked drainage channels and building on waterways have left many communities vulnerable to flooding.
Dr. Inarigu warned that without immediate development control, the forecast could translate into loss of lives and property.
He therefore urged the federal, state and local authorities to enforce land-use plans and halt illegal structures along floodplains before the rains intensify.
The Chairman of Wamba Local Government Area, Ezekiel Musa Jagga, said the council was prepared ahead of NiMet’s flood forecast and would work to prevent such a disaster.
He also advised residents to avoid blocking waterways and drainage channels in their communities.
Authorities and residents in low-lying areas are clearing drainage channels, identifying evacuation routes and stocking relief materials as part of proactive measures ahead of the peak of the rainy season.
The Director-General of NASEMA, Barrister Benjamin Akwash, said the agency had mapped out vulnerable communities and established emergency response teams.
“We have activated our early warning system. We are advising people living along river banks and flood plains to begin relocating to higher ground. Relief camps have also been identified in case of displacement.”
Benjamin Akwash urged local governments to desilt drainage channels and remove structures built on water channels.
NiMet, in its 2026 Seasonal Climate Prediction, listed parts of Nasarawa, Benue, Kogi and Niger states among areas likely to experience severe flooding between June and September due to heavy and prolonged rainfall.
