Nigeria lost valuables
worth $16.9 billion to the flood that devastated many states in 2012.
Emeritus Professor of Hydrology at the University of Lagos, Professor Lekan Oyebande who disclosed this in a lecture at a recent event in Port Harcourt also said that over seven million people were affected by the disaster which ranged 33 states in the country.
According to him, out of the seven million people affected 2.1 million people were displaced between July 12 and November 2012, while 597,476 houses were destroyed, adding that the disaster has served as a wakeup call to the Authorities to put inplace adequate measures for flood management and control.
The Professor also stressed the need for an advance flood preparedness system to save lives and reduce human sufferings while a policy on evacuation regulation should be put in place.
Oyebande also urged for an integrated flood management system stressing that it would help to limit floods and the damage caused to the society.
According to him, a strategic plan on flood risk management must be formulated and adopted with a view to drawing considerable attention to the problem of flood disaster in the country.
Speaking with newsmen, lecturer at the Department of Geosciences, Rivers State University of Science and Technology (RSUST) Dr Akuro Gobbo urged for mitigation measures to check the problems of flood and erosion.
Gobbo said that every member of the society has a role to play to check erosion and flooding.
He warned against dumping refuse into drainages while land speculators must avoid drainage channels.
Flooded Road Leading to the Federal Medical Centre, Birnin Kebbi, following a heavy rainfall recently.