Nigeria’s worst floods in a decade have so far affected 33 out of 36 states in the country, forced over 1.4 million people out of their homes, destroyed more than 330,000 hectares of farmland, and taken the lives of 603 people.

Many of the 1.4 million displaced people are still without potable water, food, or shelter even as the rainy season continues unabated. The Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs says it has begun to distribute some relief materials to affected States but it is obvious that a lot more still needs to be done - by both the Federal and State governments - and it needs to be done fast because many lives are at stake.

Sign this petition to join our call on the Federal, State, and Local governments to do the following in the short, medium, and long term:

1. The Federal, State and Local governments to collaborate to urgently respond to this disaster by providing relief materials and resettlement for flood victims in affected states all around the country.

2. The Federal Government to quickly implement the newly approved National Flood Emergency Preparedness and Response Plan which was announced by the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs on Friday, October 14, 2022.

3. Following reports from the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) that a major contributor to the flooding in Nigeria is the release of excess water from the Lagdo dam in neighbouring Cameroon, there’s a need for the Federal Government to commence plans to build a dam or water collection mechanism to cushion the effects of the water release from Cameroon.

4. The Federal Government through the Ecological Fund Office (EFO) to deploy the Ecological Fund (EF) effectively and transparently, to as well, address the flooding challenges across the country. The EF is an intervention fund allocated to mitigate serious environmental challenges in communities across Nigeria.

5. Flood-risk and vulnerability maps to be adopted as working documents to support decision-making in all steps of flood disaster management (prevention, mitigation, preparedness, operations, relief and recovery) for specific relevant agencies such as the Nigeria Meteorological Agency (NIMET), NEMA, the Federal and State fire departments, city administrators and planners, and so on.

6. The Ministry of Health, Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), and National Primary Health Care Development Agency to swing into action in affected communities and Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps to sensitize and put measures in place to prevent an outbreak of epidemics.

Many lives are at stake and it is important that we contribute our part to increase the social pressure on the concerned decision-makers on this issue.

Click here to sign the petition and share it with your network too!

WATCH ME SPEAKING ABOUT THE FLOODING ON TVC NEWS

This campaign is championed by the Sustainability Pathways for Africa.

(Image Credit: Daily Trust)