Bauchi State Government has expressed preparedness to avoid devastating flooding forecast to occur in the State following a flood alert issued by the Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency and other weather monitoring agencies.
The Government has therefore urged residents to avoid building on waterways and dumping refuse in drainages which blocks free flow of excess water thereby resulting in to flooding in order to reduce the risk of flooding.
The call was made by the State Commissioner for Housing and Environment, Rt Hon Danlami Ahmed Kawule, while speaking on Tuesday during a one-day stakeholders’ engagement on the 2026 flood preparedness and response organised by the Agro-Climatic Resilience in Semi-Arid Landscapes (ACReSAL) Project in Bauchi.
Danlami Ahmed Kawule said the stakeholders engagement meeting was convened to sensitise critical stakeholders, including religious leaders, traditional rulers and community representatives as well as the Media, on measures put in place to safeguard lives and property ahead of the peak of the rainy season in the month of August.
He said that, “Today, we are having a roundtable discussion with critical stakeholders to create awareness on how to protect ourselves from flooding. The key to protecting people from floods is awareness.”
The Commissioner added, “That is why we invited religious leaders, traditional rulers and other organisations to discuss with them. We believe they will return to their communities, pass the message and work with us.”
He then urged residents to refrain from activities that increase the risk of flooding stressing that if the way is blocked, water will always find another way around the normal course thereby resulting in to devastating damage.
“The message is simple. We are asking people not to build on waterways and not to dump waste in drainage. These are some of the issues we discussed with stakeholders because they are essential to protecting lives and property,” he said.
Danlami Ahmed Kawule warned that violators of environmental regulations would face sanctions in accordance with the law.
According to him, “There are agencies responsible for ensuring compliance with these regulations. Anyone who refuses to follow the rules will be dealt with according to the law.”
Giving an overview and objectives of the engagement earlier, the Bauchi State ACReSAL Project Coordinator, Dr Ibrahim Kabir, said that the State Governor, Sen Bala Abdulkadir Mohammed, acted on the National Flood Advisory issued by the Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency on July 22, 2026, by directing the activation of response measures across the state.
Ibrahim Kabir said the advisory identified Bauchi as the state with the highest number of flood-vulnerable locations in the country.
According to him, the National Flood Advisory Alert No. NFA-2026-200 projected that Bauchi has 1,841 vulnerable communities, 145 schools, 101 health facilities and Eight markets at risk of flooding, ranking it ahead of Edo, Imo, Kaduna, Plateau and Benue states.
According to him, “We received the prediction and immediately responded by engaging stakeholders at different levels. Although the alert came late, we felt it was important to act quickly because even a few minutes can change the entire situation.”
The ACReSAL PC further explained that the Project had expanded its sensitisation campaign beyond conventional institutions to include religious groups and community-based organisations in a bid to strengthen grassroots awareness.
“We have received encouraging feedback from participants. Many requested that we hold similar engagements in schools, markets, churches and other community centres, and we are committed to doing that,” he added.
He also disclosed that Governor Bala Mohammed had approved physical intervention projects in flood-prone communities, saying, “Beyond sensitisation, we now have the resources and approval to visit vulnerable areas and carry out physical interventions.”
According to him, “As ACReSAL, our responsibility is to support relevant institutions such as the Bauchi State Environmental Protection Agency, the State Emergency Management Agency and other ministries to respond effectively to disasters.”
He added that stronger collaboration among government agencies would help minimise the impact of flooding and improve disaster mitigation efforts across the state.
Ibrahim Kabir also urged religious leaders to use their various platforms to preach proactivenees by the people in order to avoid the devastating impact of flooding.
Representatives of the various relevant MDAs commended ACReSAL for the initiative saying that it will go a long way in ensuring that proactive measures were taken to avoid the flooding.
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