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South-South states take steps to check flooding in 2023

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Some states in the South-South region say they have put some measures in place to check flooding during 2023 rainy season.

Officials of the state governments made this known in separate interviews with the News Reporters against the 2023 flood predictions by the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NIMET).

The Akwa Ibom Commissioner for Environment and Mineral Resources, Mr Charles Udoh, told News Reporters in Uyo that as part of measures, the state had inaugurated 8.4km flood control project worth 34 million Dollars.

“Just in October, 2022, the State Government inaugurated a flood control project worth $34 million.

“The project was initiated in partnership with the World Bank through the Nigeria Erosion and Watershed Management Project (NEWMAP).

“The project transverses 18 communities in three local government areas and was designed to carry more than half of the flood water generated in Uyo and environs.

“The state government has also provided 10 alternative sources of water for communities on the line of the project as a way of cushioning the environmental effect of the project.
gave the assurance on Wednesday in Port Harcourt while responding to raising concern about the 2023 flood predictions by the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NIMET).

“It is expected that the project will permanently arrest the perennial flood problem which had sacked many residents of the affected communities,” Udoh said.

The Akwa Ibom government had earlier warned residents of the state against dumping refuse in drains and water channels to avoid flood disaster during the rainy season.

The Deputy Governor, Mr Moses Ekpo, gave the warning during a stakeholders’ meeting on flood sensitisation, preparedness, mitigation and response recently.

“The 2023 NIMET’s Seasonal Climate Prediction and Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency (NIHSA) Annual Flood Outlook has already listed our state amongst areas in the country with a high-flood risk.

“Our state is faced with threats and prospects of both natural and man-made disasters which include flooding, thunder storm, heat waves and land slides.

“Also on the rise are man-made disasters such as communal crisis, fire-outbreaks, building collapse, chemical and environmental pollution, amongst others.

“This meeting is a wake-up call for our people to be alive to their own responsibilities in this regard,” Ekpo said.

The deputy governor also urged the people to endeavour to be desilting blocked drainages around them regularly without necessarily being promoted by force.

In Calabar, Mr Princewill Ayim, Director General, Cross River State Emergency Management Agency, said the state government had taken some steps to curb the menace of flooding in the state.

Ayim disclosed that in the last quarter of 2022, the state government embarked on aggressive desilting of gutters in major cities across the state to curb flooding.

According to him, the agency also embarked on sensitisation of residents in the state against dumping waste in water channels.

He also said that the agency, in collaboration with the Department of Urban and Regional Planning, had sensitised potential builders to avoid erecting structures on water ways.

He condemned the attitude of some residents who ignored regulations guiding building in the state, saying that most people were erecting buildings along the water ways.

“We have completely carried out the desilting of gutters in Calabar metropolis and other urban towns. We did this with a view to drastically reducing flooding in the state.

“We have also sensitised residents in the state against dumping refuse in water ways.

“We have been recording serious cases of flooding in Calabar, but with the steps so far taken, we hope to minimise flooding in the state,” he said.

On his part, Mr Isoboye Jack, Chairman, River State Environmental SanitationTaskforce, said the agency had partnered relevant stakeholders to boost waste management in the state.

Jack said in Port Harcourt that a committee had already been inaugurated with a charge to work with all stakeholders to ensure effective disposal of waste to curb flooding in the state.

The chairman stated that the committee was also expected to pay special attention to the desilting of drainages and major water channels in the state.

According to him, the collaboration will help check flooding as well as monitor waste collection contractors to enable them to redouble efforts towards riding the streets and drainages of waste.

Meanwhile, Mr Williams Iyama, member, Waste Management Society of Nigeria (WAMASON), Rivers chapter, has called on the state government to give priority attention to the NIMET’s 2023 flood predictions.

Iyama said such attention was necessary to avoid a repeat of the 2022 flood experience in the state.

“The essence for NIMET’s prediction is to guide us and assist the government come up with proactive policies in respect of flood prevention and management,” he said.

He said that WAMASON would commence enlightenment programme on flooding in local communities in March as part of efforts to curb the menace.

He added that the body, during the exercise, would give out advisory on evacuation of persons living in flood-prone areas.

Environment

Burna Boy legendary – Joeboy

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Popular singer, Joseph Akinfenwa Donus, popularly known as Joeboy, has claimed his Grammy-winning colleague, Burna Boy, has attained legendary status in the music industry.

He made the remarks following Burna Boy’s latest groundbreaking achievement.

Burna Boy recently made history as the first African artist to sell out the Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, Canada.

He sold out the iconic venue back-to-back; on Saturday, February 24, and Sunday, February 25.

Reacting via his X handle, Joeboy wrote; “Burna boy is on some legendary doings.”

Meanwhile, Asake is also set to sell out the same venue in his upcoming Canadian tour.

 

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Environment

Flooding: SEMA, others embark on early sensitization, warning of flood prone Anambra communities

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ANAMBRA State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), in conjunction with the Nigeria Emergency Management Agency, NEMA, International Organization for Migration, IOM, and Anambra State Executive Council, ANSEC has embarked on early warning sensitization visit to flood prone communities in the state.

The flood prone communities visited include Ayamelum, Awka North, Anambra East, Anambra West, Ogbaru and Ihiala Local Government Areas, LGAs.

The Executive Secretary, SEMA, Paul Odenigbo while speaking on the visit urged the affected communities to prepare, “as this year’s flood would be slightly above normal as predicted by the Nigeria Meteorological Agency (NIMET) and Nigeria Hydrological Agency, NIHSA.’’

He explained that the essence of the early sensitization visit was to make sure people and communities were not caught unawares when the flood rose.

The Zonal Coordinator, NEMA, South East Zone, Ngozi Echeazu represented by Mr. Kingsley Okolo called on town planning authorities of the LGAs visited to ensure that people abide by all the flood precautionary measures when building houses.

The Chairman of Anambra West LGA, Mr. Felix Ikeji, commended the delegation for their timely sensitization and promised to ensure that the message of early flood preparation gets to the grassroots.

Blessings Okafor of Anambra State Erosion, Watersheds and Climate Change Agency, ANSEWCCA, advised the people of the flood prone areas to develop the habit of planting trees to check the menacing movement of flood waters.

A representative of International Organization for Migration, IOM, Mr. Samuel Hezekiah cautioned residents of the areas against dumping of refuse inside drainage and water channels.

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NGO building an army of grassroots climate solution actors in Kaduna

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An NGO, Women Initiative for Sustainable Environment (WISE), says it is building an army of grassroots climate solution actors in Kaduna State to strengthen local solutions to the global climate crisis.

WISE Founder and Programme Director, Mrs Olanike Olugboji-Daramola, made this known to the Newsmen in Kaduna on Tuesday.

Olugboji-Daramola said the climate solutions actors would be trained and empowered under the 2023 to 2024 Women Earth Alliance (WEA)-WISE Nigeria COVID-19 and Climate Resilience Programme.

She said that 30 grassroots climate solution actors would be trained in addition to the 30 earlier trained in 2022.

She said that the programme was open to leaders of women and youth organisations and groups, interested in working for renewable energy access, health, and climate resilience.

She also said that the programme was open to women and youths groups interested in profitable and scalable green micro enterprise and environmental sustainability in their communities.

“We welcome climate solutions advocates, influencers, champions, organisers and entrepreneurs who want to become climate solution actors.

“We equally want entrepreneurs, advocates and ambassadors in the areas of tree planting and growing, clean cooking technologies, renewable energy products distribution and sales,” she said.

The founder and programme director said that the selected participants would be equipped with a series of training on Green Microenterprise Development and related support.

She said that the participants would be committed to specific activities during and beyond the training period in four phases – preparation, training, follow-ups, and Implementation.

She added that the training team would provide follow-up support for each participant, as well as linkages to allied resources.

Olugboji-Daramola said that 30 grassroots women had undergone similar training in 2022 under the two-year programme funded by WEA, a United States-based NGO.

She said that WEA provides leadership, strategy, and technical training for women leaders to scale their climate and environmental initiatives and connects them to a global alliance of peers, mentors, and funders.

“The COVID-19 and Climate Resilience Programme, which began in March 2022, was designed to build the capacities of 60 women in social entrepreneurship and reusable energy within two years.

“The goal of the programme is to develop the capacity and improve income of women and youth groups while addressing climate change issues in their communities.

“This is through profitable and scalable green micro-enterprises as an action in finding solutions to climate issues,” she said.

She added that the second goal was to ensure that communities were better informed about women-led climate solutions.

This, according to her, will equip women with the needed information, knowledge and skills that will put them at the frontline of addressing environmental challenges and climate issues.

The founder said that the expectation at the end of the project was that 60 women would be generating profit through sale of at least 3,600 clean energy cookstoves and charcoal briquettes.

She added that 3,000 native trees would have been planted in two neglected public spaces and three degraded sites by the end of the project, with at least 90 per cent survival after a year of planting.

“The programme is also expected to reach 3,500 residents with information on women-led climate solutions through awareness campaigns,” she said.

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