Dutse: The Jigawa government has announced the completion of a 132-kilometre embankment and 32 drains to control flooding across the state. Gov. Umar Namadi made this declaration during the inauguration of the 2025 Tree Planting Campaign held in Dutse. The initiative is part of a broader effort to mitigate floods, protect farmlands, and build resilience among vulnerable communities by constructing embankments along the Hadejia River.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, Gov. Namadi emphasized that his administration is actively constructing drains in 32 locations statewide to reclaim eroded and flooded areas. Moreover, the state government has deployed two amphibious excavators to dredge the Hadejia River and clear blocked channels, aiming to ease water flow and mitigate the perennial floods that have affected the state. This initiative is expected to protect the environment and improve the social and economic well-being of the residents.
Abdullahi Sa'id, Chairman of the Jigawa Local Emergency Management Committee (LEMC), highlighted the state government's financial commitment to speeding up flood mitigation and emergency response services. This strategy is designed to enhance flood mitigation and emergency response across the 21 local government areas expected to experience flooding during the rainy season.
Nura Abdullahi, Head of the Kano Territorial Office of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), stated that the agency has increased its sensitization activities to raise awareness about flood mitigation. Collaborating with the Jigawa State Emergency Management Agency, NEMA has mobilized personnel and volunteers to disseminate early warning signs to communities prone to flooding. This effort includes strengthening community-based information sharing and security surveillance in these areas.
The Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) and the Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency (NIHSA) have predicted flooding in 21 of the 27 local government areas of Jigawa, as indicated in the 2025 Seasonal Climate Prediction and Annual Flood Outlook reports. To address this, Ahmad Tijjani, Director of the National Orientation Agency (NOA) in Jigawa, said the agency has conducted sensitization activities in five flood-prone communities to educate residents on mitigating flooding impacts.
In a related effort, the Bauchi government has initiated a statewide monthly environmental sanitation exercise to combat flooding. Mas'ud Aliyu, Director-General of the Bauchi State Emergency Management Agency, noted this measure as part of an elaborate flood preparedness campaign targeting flood-prone communities. The initiative aims to mobilize communities to prevent flooding effectively and encourage residents to vacate high-risk zones.
Dr. Mahmud Bose, Director General of the Bauchi State Environmental Protection Agency, added that the agency is enforcing a compulsory environmental sanitation exercise. This initiative focuses on regular drain clearance to prevent blockages contributing to flooding, implemented in collaboration with local councils and environmental officers to ensure compliance by households and businesses.