Following the devastating flood that claimed nearly 200 lives in Niger State, the Federal Government and governors of flood-prone states have been urged to immediately implement anticipatory action plans to prevent further tragedies across the country.
The call came from the Country Director of GoalPrime Organisation and a professor of Disaster Management and Humanitarian Studies, Prof. Christopher Chinedumuije.
In a statement, he said the recent disaster in Niger State highlights Nigeria's chronic failure to act on available scientific forecasts and early warnings.
Chinedumuije lamented: "This is not just a humanitarian catastrophe, it is, regrettably, a stark reflection of our failure as a nation to act ahead of known risks.
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He explained that despite clear flood warnings issued by the Nigerian Meteorological Agency, NiMet, and the Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency, NIHSA, no significant anticipatory action was taken across most of the 30 high-risk states, with the exception of Adamawa, where the UN and partners have established an anticipatory action and response mechanism.
He said: "For over a decade, NiMet and NIHSA have consistently provided science-based Seasonal Climate Predictions, SCPs, and Annual Flood Outlooks, clearly identifying flood-prone states and communities.
"These forecasts are globally accepted early warning systems, yet year after year, we fail to act until lives are lost and livelihoods destroyed."
GoalPrime Organisation, through Prof. Chinedumuije, called on President Tinubu and the governors of all 30 flood-prone states to urgently design and domesticate anticipatory action plans tailored to their local contexts.
He stressed: "Anticipatory action is not a luxury, it is a necessity. Mr. President and Governors of States-at-Risk, these 30 states must immediately activate anticipatory action plans. We can no longer afford a reactive culture. Lives are being lost to disasters; we have the tools to forecast and mitigate."
He urged state governments to convene State-Level Emergency Flood Preparedness Summits, bringing together State Emergency Management Agencies, SEMAs, local government officials, traditional rulers, NGOs, and community leaders to update and operationalise their local flood response plans.
According to him, critical actions must include: Identifying and mapping evacuation routes and temporary shelters.
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Prepositioning emergency supplies including food, shelter kits, and mobile health units.
Strengthening community-level early warning systems through radio, town criers, and digital alerts.
Desilting and clearing drainage channels, rivers, and waterways ahead of peak rainfall. Engaging local actors in flood education and preparedness drills.
He also called for the creation of dedicated budget lines for disaster preparedness and anticipatory planning, rather than waiting for post-disaster spending that often comes too late.
He warned: "The flood warnings are not abstract, distant threats, they are here and real. What remains is our action or inaction. The choice will determine whether we save lives or mourn preventable deaths."
According to NiMet's 2025 flood outlook, the 30 high-risk states include: Abia, Adamawa, Akwa Ibom, Anambra, Bauchi, Bayelsa, Benue, Borno, Cross River, Delta, Ebonyi, Edo, Gombe, Imo, Jigawa, Kebbi, Kogi, Kwara, Lagos, Nasarawa, Niger, Ogun, Ondo, Osun, Oyo, Rivers, Sokoto, Taraba, Yobe, and Zamfara.
