Over 10,000 people have been displaced, and farmlands and other properties worth millions of naira have been destroyed by flooding following several weeks of heavy rain in Gummi Local Government Area of Zamfara State.

The Emir of Gummi, Justice Hassan Lawal (retired), revealed this on Saturday during an on-the-spot assessment visit by Zamfara State Governor Dauda Lawal to the local government.

Governor Lawal visited Gummi town and the Gayari community to evaluate the extent of the flood damage. During the visit, Justice Lawal provided the governor with a detailed report on the situation in the local government.

“Following our discussion with experts, a permanent solution seems to be possible. For the assessment, 10,291 households were affected but we understand that the governor will go round to see for himself,” he said.

On his part, the governor sympathised with the flood victims and, thereafter, announced an immediate relief package of N100,000 and the distribution of 10,000 bags of assorted grains, along with mosquito nets and blankets, to them

Lawal also pledged to address long-term flood management by constructing new drainage systems, repairing existing dams, and potentially building additional dams.

“Today, I am in Gummi local government area to offer my condolences and conduct an on-the-spot assessment of the communities devastated by flooding caused by heavy rainfall last week,” he said.

“I want to take this opportunity to inform you that I have donated 10,000 bags of food, including rice, maize, and millet, to be distributed among the flood victims. The trucks are already on the way to Gummi for distribution.

“I am also, on behalf of the Zamfara State Government, supporting the affected victims with N100 million. In addition, all affected victims will be allocated lands away from the danger zone so that they can build new houses.”

Residents of Gummi expressed their gratitude to the governor for coming to sympathise with them after sending three different delegations earlier.

“We are happy to see the governor visit us. This shows he cares for us. Two-thirds of the people in this community are now homeless because of the flood. For the governor to come and see the situation, that alone has given us hope. Some are taking shelter in government buildings, some are in primary school, some secondary school, some are in petrol Station,” one resident said.

The state government has set up a committee led by an elder statesman, Alhaji Salihu Maibuhu Gumi, to oversee the distribution of these relief materials and to ensure that all affected individuals receive necessary assistance.

Nearly 200 Dead

At least 179 people have died and more than 200,000 displaced by floods in parts of the country, an emergency official said on Thursday.

Most of the serious flooding has been in the north of Nigeria so far. At least 107,600 hectares (265,885 acres) of farmlands have also been affected, figures published by the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) showed.

Most of the deaths were in the country’s northern region, but NEMA spokesman Ezekiel Manzo said the central and southern parts of Nigeria may be hit harder as rain intensifies.

He did not say exactly when the deaths and displacements had occurred.

“The collection of water from the northern part flowing downward will also mean that the situation being witnessed the same in central and southern parts of the country will become worse,” Manzo told AFP.

Communities situated along the Niger and Benue rivers face an increased risk of flooding. According to Manzo, even regions of the country not traditionally known for flooding have experienced it recently.

Flooding, often resulting from heavy rainfall and inadequate infrastructure, has historically caused significant devastation in Africa’s most populous nation.

In 2012, more than 360 people lost their lives, and over 2.1 million were displaced. A decade later, in 2022, the situation worsened, with over 500 deaths and 1.4 million people displaced due to the most severe floods in ten years.

In a statement on Wednesday, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu assured that authorities would issue warnings to reduce the impact of such environmental disasters.

Manzo also noted that emergency officials have developed plans to prevent a recurrence of these events.

“We don’t have time to waste any longer so people will not be caught unaware,” he told AFP.