In the rainy season of 2024, floods caused huge damage in Adamawa State, destroying 13,944 homes, according to Governor Ahmadu Fintiri. The governor shared this information during a meeting on Monday, January 21, with a team from Switzerland who came to discuss ways to help prevent floods in the future.
The floods also ruined 10,722 hectares of farmlands, leaving more than 52,000 people struggling. Governor Fintiri explained that the floods caused a lot of damage to roads and buildings, including 14 bridges and seven culverts, which made it hard for people to travel and communicate. Schools and hospitals were also affected.
Despite all of these challenges, Fintiri pointed out that his government had worked hard to prevent floods. This included setting up early warning systems to help people prepare, and taking quick action when needed. However, he believes that more needs to be done.
“Improving infrastructure, such as resilient dams and drainage systems, is critical to mitigating flood risks,” Fintiri said.
The governor also stressed that the state needs to work together with other groups to assess flood risks, manage disasters, and build stronger communities that can respond better to floods in the future. He also suggested starting pilot projects to test new ideas for flood prevention.
Siamak Rouhani, the Deputy Swiss Ambassador to Nigeria, who was with his colleagues Nicolas Dartiu-Achard and Dr. Valeria Hutter, explained that they were in Adamawa to talk about how Switzerland could help with technical support to reduce the risk of floods.
Together, they hope to find solutions to protect the people and the environment in the future.
