The National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA, has begun heightened surveillance of the River Niger in Anambra State as its rising water level prompts authorities to prepare vulnerable communities for possible flooding.
Although the river remains within the safe threshold, NEMA said the gradual rise in water level makes early preparation necessary, particularly for residents living along the riverbanks and other flood-prone locations.
The agency’s Enugu Operations Office, working with the Anambra State Emergency Management Agency and the Nigerian Red Cross Society, inspected the River Niger water gauge at the National Inland Waterways Authority, Onitsha, on Friday as part of efforts to obtain real-time information on the situation.
NEMA Head of Operations, Priscilla Madukwe, said the monitoring was intended to ensure that authorities would not have to wait for floodwaters to threaten homes and communities before taking action. She urged residents to regard the warning as a preparedness measure rather than a cause for panic.
The significance of the exercise lies in its emphasis on early warning, as timely information on changes in the river’s level could give residents enough time to protect property, move vulnerable persons and relocate to safer ground if the situation deteriorates.
Madukwe advised people living close to the River Niger and other flood-prone areas to follow official updates from emergency agencies and avoid activities capable of increasing their exposure to flooding. She stressed that communities should be ready to move whenever authorities determine that evacuation has become necessary.
Information gathered from the monitoring exercise will also help NEMA, SEMA, the Red Cross and other response agencies refine their preparedness plans and determine how quickly assistance may be required if the river rises beyond the established safety level.
While assuring residents that the situation was being closely monitored, NEMA urged the public to remain calm but vigilant, stressing that the objective was to ensure that a potential rise in the River Niger does not develop into a full-scale humanitarian emergency before communities and response agencies are ready.
