The Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) has issued a strong appeal to governments at all levels and residents in flood-prone areas to act swiftly and decisively in preparing for the looming 2025 seasonal floods.
The call follows alarming forecasts from the Nigerian Hydrological Services Agency (NIHSA), which has identified 1,249 communities across 176 local government areas in 30 states—including 16 northern states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT)—as vulnerable to significant flooding this year.
In a statement released by ACF National Publicity Secretary, Professor Tukur Muhammad-Baba, the group voiced deep concern over the likely humanitarian and economic consequences of the predicted floods.
“Communities without adequate preparations typically experience deaths, destruction of farmlands, property damage, disruptions to livelihoods, and food shortages. For 2025, the floods could not come at a worse time, given the dire economic and other existential constraints that citizens have been living with,”; the statement warned.
While the forum acknowledged that the Federal Government has begun public sensitisation campaigns, it expressed disappointment over the limited visibility of such efforts in many at-risk communities, despite the rainy season already beginning in parts of the country.
The ACF called for stepped-up coordination among federal, state, and local authorities to enhance awareness campaigns and emergency preparedness.
It urged relief agencies to pre-position essential supplies such as food, clean water, medicines, and emergency kits in vulnerable areas.
It also emphasized the urgent need to repair critical infrastructure—roads, bridges, schools, hospitals, and markets—before floodwaters arrive.
Additionally, the forum underscored the importance of strict enforcement of urban planning and environmental laws to avert preventable disasters.
“Incompetence, misconduct, dereliction of duty, quackery, and corruption must not go unpunished,”; it stated firmly.
On the part of citizens, the ACF advised adopting responsible environmental habits, including maintaining clean drainage systems and avoiding indiscriminate waste disposal.
Reaffirming its stance, the forum pledged to continue supporting all initiatives aimed at protecting lives and property ahead of the anticipated floods.p
