Abuja: The Federal House of Representatives on Wednesday called on the Federal Ministries of Water Resources and Environment to direct the Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency to evaluate the framework for the country’s drainage control system.
The aim is to achieve the desired results in flood prevention and mitigation.
The House also urged the government, through the Ministries of Water Resources and Sanitation, to begin dredging the nation’s major dams and rivers to prevent excessive flooding that has been devastating lives, properties, and farmlands across the country.
These resolutions were adopted following a motion brought forward by Hon. Mohammed Dan Abba Shehu (PDP, Bauchi). The lawmaker stressed that the dredging of Nigeria’s major dams and rivers is crucial to reducing the devastating impact of floods on farmers and their crops.
Hon. Shehu expressed concern that the government’s neglect in assisting farmers in addressing flooding issues has hindered the implementation of adequate drainage systems to control flooding.
He said, “This negligence has also contributed to insufficient flood control measures, inadequate compensation for farmers’ losses, and inefficient water resource management.
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According to him, “The House is aware that developed countries like the United States, the United Kingdom, and South Africa have made flood control through proper drainage systems a key objective of their administrations to safeguard the environment, improve food security, and ensure sustainability.”
He further explained that proper dredging of dams and rivers would promote irrigation farming, leading to increased food production for both local consumption and export.
“This, in turn, would contribute significantly to economic development.” He noted.
Hon. Shehu also raised alarm over the annual floods, which have destroyed farmers’ efforts, resulting in losses worth billions of naira and posing significant risks due to government inaction. He cited statistics from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), which revealed that between 2018 and 2020, over 2.8 trillion naira worth of crops were lost due to flooding.
“The House is worried that 80% of Nigerian farmers have suffered significant crop losses, leading to debt and an exodus from farming. Farmers who have taken out loans from financial institutions are finding it increasingly difficult to repay them due to flood-related losses,” he added.
The House, therefore, mandated its Committees on Water Resources, Environment, and Agricultural Production and Services to collaborate with the Honourable Ministers of Water Resources, and Agriculture and Food Security to propose solutions to this challenge and report back within four weeks for further legislative action.
