Jigawa flooding: Past, present lessons not learned

In Jigawa state, there are local governments or villages that are in riparian areas who are prone/fragile to flooding. These areas are very fragile and easy fray whenever there is flooding in the state. Kafin Hausa, Auyo, Guri and Ringim for example, have experienced or experiencing flooding almost every raining season, which led to the […]

In Jigawa state, there are local governments or villages that are in riparian areas who are prone/fragile to flooding. These areas are very fragile and easy fray whenever there is flooding in the state. Kafin Hausa, Auyo, Guri and Ringim for example, have experienced or experiencing flooding almost every raining season, which led to the loss of billions of Naira, properties, homes and lives. Around 2003 a whole village called Marawa in Ringim Local Government was swept away by water and had to be relocated and rebuild due to the flooding in the area by Jigawa state government to prevent future occurrence of the disaster but still some people went back to the old location and build houses while the authority watches. While in 2010 in Jahun Local Government flood damaged more than 200 houses which forced many people in the local government to seek shelter somewhere else.

In 2018, in Ringim, Gwaram, Birnin Kudu, Taura, Miga, Jahun, Auyo, Kazaure, Mallam-Madori, Hadejia, Guri, Kirikasamma, Buji and Kaugama more than 100,000 hectares of farms of rice, thousands of houses and many lives were destroyed. This led to many outbreaks of diseases in the Internally Displaced Persons Camps set up by the state government for the victims of the flood while others seek shelter in neighboring towns.

In a situation which looks like we are not learning from the past, this year, before the start of the rain, The Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NIMET) advised/warned people in the riverine areas in the state to relocate or take proper precaution to prevent being destroyed by the flood but neither the government nor the people take the warning seriously. From the last days of July to August of this year, Jigawa state has recorded countless number of flooding where many villages were submerged, lives were lost and properties destroyed. A report from the state indicates that more than five lives were lost, including a pregnant woman in Kirikasamma Local government and thousands of residents have been displaced in the most affected areas; Guri, Kirikasamma and Birnin Kudu local government areas.

To prevent the future occurrence of this disaster there is the need for government to be serious, especially in the area of constructing drainage in the state; not only constructing the drainages they should be of good quality.

Ali Sab, Dutse, Jigawa State. [email protected]