ABUJA, May 27 (Xinhua) -- At least 1,231 people were killed and more than 1.2 million others displaced due to the heavy flooding that ravaged many parts of Nigeria in 2024, the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) said Tuesday.
Zubaida Umar, director-general of NEMA, while on a national sensitization campaign on the preparedness for disasters in the southeastern state of Imo, told reporters that a lot is being done to mitigate the impact of flooding this year.
"We have embarked on various activities to prevent the expected impacts of the disaster, intending to remind stakeholders about their responsibilities in flood disaster management," Umar said, noting at least 16,469 people were injured during last year's flooding.
She said the disaster affected over 5.2 million people, with over 1.4 million farmlands destroyed. At least 34 out of Nigeria's 36 states experienced flooding in 2024.
To mitigate the impact of flooding this year, the senior emergency response official urged governments at all levels to invest in drainage and dam infrastructure, while encouraging flood-resilient planning in riverine areas.
In response to the heavy flooding last year, Nigeria's National Economic Council directed a comprehensive integrity review of the state of local waterways and dams to mitigate the ravaging impact of flooding in the most populous African country. ■