At least 15 million Nigerians are at risk of flood disasters in 2025, according to Vice President Kashim Shettima.
He disclosed this at the commencement of a one-day Validation Workshop on the Anticipatory Action Framework for Nigeria held in Abuja on Wednesday.
Shettima noted the need for collaboration among government agencies at both state and federal levels to tackle floods and other disasters in the country with the Federal Government taking a proactive approach to forestall the disaster, unlike the reactive approach of the past.
“There can never be a military solution to the crisis in Plateau, North-East,” Shettima said, advocating a non-kinetic approach to tackling security challenges in these regions.
The Vice President also condemned recent attacks in Plateau state, expressing sympathy for the affected families.
Floods have a significant economic impact on Nigeria, with the country losing 5% of its Gross Domestic Product (GDP) to floods.
However, President Bola Tinubu has approved N15 billion for emergency responses to mitigate the effects of the floods.
Persecondnews recalls that in November 2024, devastating floods in Northeastern Nigeria had submerged entire residential areas, displaced tens of thousands of people, and forced zoo animals to escape into the streets.
At least 30 people died, and one million people were affected, with 200,000 displaced in Borno State.
Experts noted that Maiduguri is experiencing its worst flood in 30 years, exacerbating the humanitarian crisis in the region.
More than 1.15 million people have been affected by floods across 31 states in the country.
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