The floods are finally here, no doubts about that. It has come with its full rage totally
submerging communities, farmlands, destroying lives and property along its
path, with thousands rendered homeless, now taking shelter as
Internally-Displaced Persons (IDPs) and over 25 million predicted to be
affected. No thanks to the increase in annual rainfall this year that caused
excess water at Lagdo dam in Cameroun, Kainji, Shiroro, Jebba, Warama, Kiri
dams in Niger, Kwara Kano, and Adamawa states respectively to be released. This
resulted to over flow of the River Niger and River Benue in the form of flash
and massive flood into communities along its plains and tributaries. Affected
states includes: Niger, Kogi, Benue, Delta, Anambra, Sokoto, Kebbi, Bauchi, Katisna,
Imo, Ebonyi, Adamawa, Kano, Jigawa, Gombe, Rivers, Cross River, Ondo, Bayelsa,
Akwa Ibom, and Lagos. The magnitude of the devastation can only be expressed by
calculating the total land mass of affected area, number of persons killed and
displaced, impact on affected population, worth of property destroyed, impact
on local and national economy and post flood recovery costs.
