Kogi Collaborates With NIHSA to Explore River Niger Shorelines

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The Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency (NIHSA) is collaborating with the Kogi Government to exploring the shorelines of River Niger for the benefit of people of the state and Nigeria at large, the Director General, NIHSA, Mr Moses Beckley, said.
Beckley made the disclosure after jointly exploring shoreline open spaces and some other spots along River Niger with the team of Kogi Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources in Lokoja on Saturday.
Beckley told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that he came down with his team to Lokoja to see how Kogi state and the agency could take advantage of the excess waters in the confluence state for exploration.
He added that the team had gone round the sites which have natural beauty scenerio and some other possibilities along River Niger that could be maximised and exploited for the benefits of the people.
“We are also here in the light of the flooding that characterize this environment, and we have deliberated on how to come up with a conference on climate change, knowing fully well how it has affected water resources potentials.
“We are looking at all of these possibilities so that we can synergise and help the state to see how the water resources can be maximised for socioeconomic benefits of the people and Nigeria at large,” he said.
The director general advised the people at individual level to be conscious of the environment and ensure that their surroundings were well cleared and drained, urging governments to ensure that people obeyed town planning and environmental laws.
He said “Presently, flood has been recorded in close to about 20 LGAs in 13 out of 34 States earlier predicted by NIHSA.

Hon Rosemary Ojochenemi Osikoya and the team NIHSA from Abuja led by Mr Moses Oluwatoyin Beckley DG NIHSA before embarking on the shoreline exploration of River Niger

Mrs Rosemary Osikoya, the State Commissioner for Environment and Natural Resources, told NAN that the state government was collaborating with relevant agencies in the area of annual flooding, climate change, shoreline exploration, social recreational areas, coastline structure and desilting of rivers.
She added that the major one being the impending flood as informed by partners that the 2012 cycle of flood occurred in every five years, and was due to have come again this year.
Osikoya said that the Department of Climate Change under the Ministry of Environment, had conveyed a meeting with World Bank in February where they were informed that one of the quickest solutions to flood in Kogi was the construction of Dam.
“Beyond dam is the issue of water reservoir where water is strategically managed to divert some of it into a lake like you have in ‘Jabi Lake’, that is why we went to see the site along River Niger at Jimgbe axis.
“This is because during the dry season it was a Sandy Beach and the idea of having a beach just less than two hours drive from Abuja is not a Lokoja beach anymore but Nigeria thing.
“So, we are happy that the NIHSA is partnering with us as part of the recent declaration of the state of emergency on environment by Gov. Yahaya Bello on July 14, at the special State Executive Council meeting.
“We are engaging our stakeholders at the federal and international levels to look at the cross cutting issues, which was part of the visit by NEMA to the state on Friday.
“We hope to do more of assessment of the 14 flooding incidences we have so far experienced in Kogi this season; but this is not the peak of our season.
“So, these are all plans for the future and some of them have immediate consequences.
The commissioner, however warned residents in the flood plains to immediately move up hills, urging the people to clear the water channels infront of their houses to avoid flooding basically caused by human activities.
– NAN

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