THE Niger Government has warned people living and farming around flood-prone areas to move away from such places, to avoid flooding.

Alhaji Ahmed Inga, the Director-General of the State Emergency Management Agency (NSEMA), gave the warning in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), in Minna.

He said that the agency was using traditional institutions to counsel people living in flood-prone areas to desist from building structures, or planting crops, on waterways.

“Immediately we got the 2019 rainfall predictions by NiMET, we swung into action by embarking on sensitisation, using the traditional institutions to counsel people living and farming in flood-prone areas to seek alternative places.

“We are using the traditional means of communication because most of these communities do not have access to radio or television; the best way to reach out to them is to use our traditional ways of conveying information.

“Although this year’s rainfall might not be as heavy as that of the previous year, we in Niger do experience flood year in and year out, due to the topography of the state,” he said.

Inga noted that the global warming and climate change had worsened the flood situation in Niger, and had contributed to most flooding experienced in some parts of the state.

He said that the agency had intensified efforts to educate the people on the dangers of living and farming around riverbanks.

The Director-General, however, advised farmers to heed the NiMET prediction on late onset of rainfall and early cessation, adding that they should go for improved seedlings to record bumper harvest.

-NAN

BE

– May 22, 2019 @ 11:24 GMT |