By Salau Ibrahim
Kogi State Government has reaffirmed its commitment to taking proactive measures by ensuring effective flood disaster management.
This comes as the 2025 flood prediction comes to light following the rising water levels.
To this end, the government has put robust mechanisms in place to mitigate the impact of potential flooding across the state.
Speaking at an emergency meeting of the State Emergency Preparedness and Response Team held in Lokoja, the Executive Secretary of the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), Alhaji Mouktar Atimah, outlined comprehensive measures already implemented to cushion the effects of the impending flood.
According to Atimah, forty two internally displaced persons (IDP) camps across nine flood-prone local government areas have been fully fumigated, renovated, and equipped to provide a safe and conducive environment for affected residents or persons .
According to him, Security personnel have also been deployed to these camps to ensure the safety and protection of occupants.
In addition, he noted that speedboats and life jackets have been procured and distributed to the vulnerable areas through the Ministry of Transport to aid in the timely evacuation of flood victims to safer locations, while the Ministry of Health has also mobilized personnel to provide emergency healthcare services and respond to possible disease outbreaks in the camps.
“In line with the directive of His Excellency, Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo, our staff have undergone capacity-building training with seasoned professionals to ensure an effective and well coordinated responses,” Atimah added.
He further disclosed that relief materials worth over ₦1 billion, including food and non-food items, have started arriving the state and are currently being stored at a temporary warehouse located at Kogi Hotels in Lokoja.
He said distribution of these materials will commence immediately after all supplies have been duly received.
Communities such as Oworo in Lokoja and Unugwa in Ibaji LGA have been prioritized as the first beneficiaries of the relief distribution due to their high vulnerability.
In a related development, Alhaji Atimah gave an update on the recent boat mishap that occurred at Unugwa community in Ibaji LGA, stressing that out of the 80 passengers on board, 44 were rescued, 36 confirmed dead, and 7 bodies are still missing.
Search and rescue operations are however still ongoing.
The emergency meeting was attended by key stakeholders, including the Special Adviser on SEMA to the Governor, Dr. Musa Sandra; SA on Emergency, Hon. Shaibu Mohammed; SA on IDP Camps, Hon. Jibril Ibrahim and the management staff of SEMA.
Salau Ibrahim
Information Officer, SEMA
