The Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency (NIHSA) has predicted that there will be flooding in eight major rivers across the country and advised residents living in flood prone areas to relocate.
The Director-General of NIHSA, Dr Moses Beckley, said this at the 2017 Annual Flood Outlook (AFO) workshop organised by the agency on Tuesday in Abuja.
According to him, the forum is to create awareness to Nigerians, those living in flood prone areas in particular to get ready to relocate to safety areas.
The expected areas of flooding in 2017 are Niger, Benue, Sokoto-Rima, Anambra-Imo, Cross River, Niger Delta, Komadougu-Yobe, Ogun-Osun and several other sub-basins of the country.
"This outlook forecast is to get the people aware, enlightened, so that they can prepare effectively for what to likely expect from flood incident.
"We in the agency advise those living in these areas to relocate to safety regions having the knowledge of hydrological hazard which floods have caused in previous years in the country, " he said.
Beckley, however, explained that areas to be affected by flood in 2017 were expected to be lower than that of 2016.
He attributed the reason for the fall in degree to necessary precautionary measures taken by the agency and other sisters' agency like NiMet, NEMA among other.
In his address, Malam Suleiman Adamu, Minister, Federal Ministry of Water Resources, appreciated efforts of NiMet, NEMA, NOA for their contribution toward enlightening Nigerians on the dangers of flood.
According to the Minister, the 2017 flood outlook presentation and workshop is built on the success of the four previous forecasts by the NIHSA and other agencies.
Adamu observed that the outcome of these forecasts have contributed to the reduction in the incidents of severe flood damages in the nation.
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