Federal Ministry of Water Resources Set to Construct Dams Due to Recent Flooding

The federal ministry of water resources is currently working toward the construction of about two dams due to the recent flooding in Nigeria that has so far killed 603 Nigerians, with 2,504 people affected.

Recent flooding in Nigeria has become an “overwhelming” disaster, as many states were ravaged which led to the loss of lives and destruction of properties.

A report by the federal government disclosed that 1,302,589 people were displaced; 2,407 people were injured; 603 people were killed; 121,318 houses were partially damaged; 82,053 houses were damaged; 108,392 farmlands were partially damaged and 332,327 farmlands were damaged. 

This was disclosed by the Minister, Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Sadiya Umar Farouq, during a press briefing in Abuja.

The minister further disclosed that the Federal Ministry of Water Resources is mapping out plans towards the construction of about two dams, adding that the building of these dams is quite expensive and takes a longer period of time, hence can’t be completed within a short period.

She also noted that state governors met with the president who directed that all the ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) should work with sub-national governments with a view to curb the effects of the flood. 

“Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management, and Social Development are concerned that despite all our efforts of averting the consequence of the 2022 flooding season, unfortunately, we have recorded the loss of over 500 lives, partial or total damage of more than 90,000 houses, damage of more than 140,000 hectares of farmland. So many roads and other critical infrastructures were also affected”, she added.

The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) had earlier stated that the increase in rainfall and the release of excess water from a dam in neighboring Cameroon was what contributed to the recent flooding in Nigeria.

It would be recalled that on October 13, 2022, Investors King reported that businesses in Nigeria lost more than 1 trillion Naira in two weeks.