BREAKING NEWS: Floods leave 2.4m displaced, 662 lives lost

The National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA, said, yesterday, that flood disasters, in 2022, left over 2.4 million persons displaced and 662 dead.

Director-General, NEMA, Mustapha Ahmed, who disclosed this during a one-week strategic executive seminar for NEMA staff and wider Nigerian Emergency Management stakeholders, in Abuja, also revealed that 3,174 persons suffered injuries, due to flooding incidents in some parts of the country, last year.

He said:  “As we are all aware, this event is taking place in the immediate aftermath of the devastating 2022 flood disaster which is unprecedented in the history of Nigeria. Records indicate that 662 persons have lost their lives, 3,174 others have suffered injury and 2,430,445 individuals have been displaced by the floods.

“Thousands of houses, hectares of farmlands and several critical national assets were destroyed by the raging floods. NEMA in collaboration with State governments and other partners are currently working assiduously towards the long-term recovery of impacted communities across the nation.”

The NEMA boss said it was pertinent to organize a training program to ensure a collective approach in managing floods and other crisis in Nigeria.

“There is no better time than now for this training program. I therefore call upon all participants to use this opportunity to interact with one another, share experiences and develop holistic approaches to disaster and crisis management in Nigeria.

“I am confident that the expert -guidance of our resource persons from the Bournemouth University Disaster Management Centre will surely make this capacity building program a resounding success.

“There is no doubt that at the end of this program which is tailor made to meet our peculiar needs in Nigeria, participants would be better prepared to face up to both new and emerging disaster challenges in their various areas of operation and the entire Nigerian federation,” he added.