The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has urged state governments in Nigeria to begin sensitisation and mitigation efforts to prevent another disaster.

Development Diaries reports that floods in 2022 killed over 600 people and displaced over 1.4 million, and NEMA has warned that as many as 626 local government areas (LGAs) in Nigeria could be affected.

Preye, a mother of two, was displaced by the flooding in Bayelsa State, southern Nigeria, and she was forced to go find a temporary shelter for herself and her two children.

She also lost the small kiosk where she previously sold food items to fend for her children, which increased the extent of hardship she was facing.

Trying to survive daily became a painful experience for Preye and her two children, as they had to resort to waiting on palliatives from the government which hardly got to them.

This is the experience of one family amongst a million others affected by the 2022 flooding disaster.

This is why the state governments need to begin plans immediately to prevent another impending disaster in 2023.

In January, the Nigeria Meteorological Agency (NIMET) released its 2023 Seasonal Rainfall Prediction (SRP) warning Nigerians to prepare for massive rainfall which may trigger flooding in some states.

With all these warnings that have been flying around, would state governments listen to them and take action?

Or would the authorities concerned ignore these warnings and begin to cry wolf when the damage has been done?

Development Diaries calls on the governments of states that are prone to flooding to begin to take adequate measures to avert another disaster.

We also reiterate our call to the National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency, which was established to ensure a cleaner and healthier environment for Nigerians, to educate Nigerians on how to dispose of refuse properly.

Photo source: BBC