The National Orientation Agency has warned residents to stop practices that worsen flooding, especially in flood-prone communities across Jigawa State.
The PUNCH recalls that the Nigerian Meteorological Agency and the Nigerian Hydrological Services Agency recently warned that heavy rainfall could trigger flooding in over 14,000 communities across 33 states, with Jigawa among those at risk during this rainy season.
Jigawa faces flooding almost every year, leading to the loss of agricultural produce, destruction of houses, damage to property and, in some cases, loss of lives.
Against this backdrop, the NOA in the state held an interactive session with journalists on its ongoing sensitisation campaign on Monday in Dutse, the state capital.
Speaking at the event, the state director, Ahmad Ibrahim, said, “The campaign covers flood mitigation and emergency preparedness, continuous voter registration, and discouraging the misuse of Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Food.”
According to Ibrahim, NOA’s mandate includes sensitising the public on government policies, programmes and activities.
He explained that the current campaign focuses heavily on flood mitigation because of the looming threat highlighted in the 2026 Annual Flood Outlook.
“Flooding is a recurring natural disaster aggravated by climate change and often worsened by human activities such as waste disposal in waterways, poor infrastructure maintenance and illegal construction on floodplains,” Ibrahim stated.
He stressed that although flooding is a natural phenomenon, human-induced factors worsen its impact in Jigawa communities.
“Poor drainage systems, indiscriminate dumping of waste in drainages, construction of buildings on waterways, as well as excessive deforestation, contribute significantly to the recurring incidences of flooding,” he said.
Moreover, he noted that these practices result in widespread destruction of lives and property across the state.
He said NOA would continue to collaborate with relevant authorities to ensure the timely and accurate dissemination of information relating to flooding.
“In the coming days, we will deploy our Community Orientation and Mobilisation Officers in the 27 local government areas to sensitise communities, especially those in flood-prone areas,” Ibrahim said.
He urged residents to pay attention to NiMet’s early warning advisories, which he said come with 90 per cent accuracy.
“We encourage citizens to strengthen environmental sanitation, ensure drainages are cleared of waste, and embrace tree planting to minimise the risk of flooding,” he added.
On voter registration, Ibrahim said INEC resumed the third phase of the Continuous Voter Registration on May 11, 2026, and that it would run until July 10, 2026.
The exercise is taking place at INEC state and local government offices, as well as designated centres across Jigawa.
He said it targets eligible citizens who have turned 18, those who missed previous phases, and voters seeking transfers, replacements or corrections to their Permanent Voter Cards.
“NOA urges all eligible citizens to take advantage of this window to register and obtain their PVCs, as your voice starts with registration,” he stated.
On the misuse of RUTF, Ibrahim said the agency, with support from UNICEF, has intensified campaigns against the buying and selling of the product.
He also commended the First Lady of Jigawa State, Hadiza Namadi, for lending her voice to the campaign.
“Health experts have made it clear that RUTF is a specialised treatment for severely malnourished children, provided free by government and development partners, and not a commercial product,” he said.
Ibrahim warned that despite efforts to curb the practice, the product is still being sold in markets, shops and homes, and is sometimes consumed by adults, thereby putting vulnerable children at risk.
“We appeal to the media to sustain advocacy on this issue so that we can secure the future of our children,” he concluded.
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