The Nasarawa State Government has warned residents living in flood-prone and riverine communities to immediately relocate to higher ground to avoid loss of lives and property.
The warning was issued on Wednesday in Lafia by the Director General of the Nasarawa State Emergency Management Agency (NASEMA), Benjamin Akwash. This follows a recent flash flood alert by the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet), which listed Nasarawa among 20 states likely to experience heavy flooding.
Other affected states include Sokoto, Lagos, Kaduna, Zamfara, Yobe, Bauchi, Bayelsa, Jigawa, Adamawa, Taraba, Niger, Benue, Ogun, Ondo, Delta, Edo, Akwa Ibom, Rivers, and Cross River.
“We are reiterating what we told them during early warning sensitisation,” Akwash said. “Riverine communities must relocate to safer areas. It’s about saving lives, not holding on to ancestral homes.”
He added that natural disasters like floods do not give specific dates or times. “It is better to act early than to regret later. People must not gamble with their lives,” he said.
Akwash also revealed that the agency will soon procure speed boats, canoes, and other safety equipment to support rescue operations and emergency evacuations.
He further cautioned residents against dumping refuse in drainage systems and building structures on waterways, noting that such practices worsen flooding.
The government’s call comes as part of broader efforts to reduce the impact of seasonal floods, which have caused significant damage to communities across Nigeria in recent years.