Jigawa sets aside ₦4.3bn for flood prevention, emergency response

The Jigawa State government has earmarked ₦4.297 billion for flood prevention and emergency response across all 27 local government areas.

The fund is part of efforts to reduce the impact of the seasonal flooding predicted by the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet), which listed 21 local councils in Jigawa among high-risk areas.

The chairman of the Local Government Environmental Management Committee, Abdullahi Sa’ad, disclosed this during a town hall meeting on flood preparedness in Ringim.

Mr Sa’ad, who also serves as Vice Chairman of Gagarawa Local Government, said the state government, through the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), provided ₦4 billion, while each of the 27 local councils contributed ₦11 million.

He said a 20-member committee has been established in each local government area to lead public awareness campaigns and ensure the clearing of blocked drainages and waterways.

He added that Local Government Environmental Management Committees have also been set up under the office of each council’s vice chairman to drive grassroots action.

Flooding remains a major threat in Jigawa, where heavy rains have repeatedly displaced communities and damaged infrastructure. In 2022 alone, more than 90,000 people were affected by floods in the state.

Authorities say the current intervention is aimed at preventing a repeat of such disasters and improving local response capacity.