Orange alert has been issued to Nigeria and Benin Republic, by the Niger Basin Authority, NBA which consists of about nine countries in West and Central Africa, with its headquarters in Niamey, Niger Republic.
“It’s a question of hours to get to a red alert – the waters can rise very suddenly”
Rainfall warning signals have been depicted by three unique colours namely; yellow which means rainfall should be monitored, orange which means residents living in flood prone areas should be at alert, and red which means there would be flooding and as such evacuation of people should begin.
NBA in a statement said that it is following up the situation and will provide information as it develops, as consultations can be done for the follow-up of flood forecasts.
Meanwhile, the Director General Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency (NHSA) Moses Beckley, have said that the water had risen above normal level emphasizing that there would be more flood in Nigeria this year.
He stated that Nigeria was on a low land area and as such the waters would arrive Nigeria few days after the orange alert was given
“The Jebba and Kainji dams, which were constructed for this same purpose to control the flow of water from upstream, especially water coming from outside, have been so properly managed.
“I want to believe that they will be able to contain that water, they will be able to release this water that it will not cause devastation downstream.”
