Tinubu Offers Condolences To Jigawa State As Flooding Claims 28 Lives, Displaces Thousands

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Wednesday expressed his deep sympathy to the people of Jigawa State following the recent flooding, which resulted in 28 deaths and the displacement of many residents.

The president extended his condolences to the families who have lost loved ones and to those affected by the flooding, which has impacted around 14 local government areas and many homes, as per the official State House website.

Tinubu emphasized that these frequent environmental disasters highlight the need to continue efforts to address climate change and eliminate human factors contributing to these problems. He prayed for the souls of the deceased and promised that his administration would support the people of Jigawa during this challenging time.

According to multiple reports, more than 3,000 people have been displaced in flood disasters in 10 local government areas of the state. The governor of Jigawa State, Umar Namadi, said Tuesday the death toll has reached 28.

"As the chairman of the ecological fund you need to look at the impact of climate change on people and also the impact of government projects. There is a serious need for the federal government to ensure that for all federal road projects, there must be an environmental impact assessment before they can be undertaken," the governor said, as per Premium Times.

"In the state road projects, we take care of the environmental impact assessment on the community that the road projects are being carried on. In some of the communities where environmental impact assessments have not been done, the communities have been submerged by water."

The governor mentioned that areas like Kiyawa and parts of the Buji local government area were affected by flooding due to the reconstruction of the Kano/Maiduguri highway.

He explained that the flooding happened because the road was raised while the surrounding towns stayed at a lower level, which blocked rainwater from draining away. He stressed the importance of environmental impact assessments for both federal and state road projects to prevent ongoing flooding issues.

Namadi made this statement while hosting members of the House of Representatives Committee on Ecological Fund, led by its chairperson Aminu Jaji, on a visit to the state to assess the impact of the environment.