NIHSA Urges Media to Strengthen Public Awareness of Flood and Water Pollution Risks
The Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency (NIHSA) has called for stronger collaboration with environmental journalists to ensure that flood warnings, water safety information and other hydrological alerts reach vulnerable communities in time to prevent loss of lives and property.
The Director-General of NIHSA, Architect Umar Muhammed, made the call in Abuja when the newly elected Executive Council of the Environmental Media Correspondents Association of Nigeria (EMCAN), led by its Chairman, Joycelyn Adah, paid a courtesy visit to the agency.
Muhammed said the media had an important role to play in translating technical hydrological information into simple and actionable messages that ordinary Nigerians could understand, particularly during emergencies.
He stressed that timely access to accurate information could help communities exposed to flooding and other water-related hazards take appropriate precautions.
Beyond flooding, the NIHSA director-general raised concerns about the contamination of streams and other water bodies through human activities, warning that polluted water sources could expose communities to serious health risks.
He said effective management of Nigeria’s water resources was essential to addressing water scarcity, contamination and the spread of water-related diseases.
“If you do not have a good environment and manage water resources, one day you wake up and you’d be shocked with what you see. Either you totally run out of water or you have no clean water,” Muhammed said.
He said environmental media organizations such as EMCAN could help bridge the communication gap between NIHSA and the public by ensuring that information on flood forecasts, early warning systems and water resources management was communicated in a form that communities could easily understand and act upon.
According to Muhammed, closer collaboration with environmental journalists would improve public awareness of hydrological risks and strengthen preparedness among communities vulnerable to flooding.
Also speaking, NIHSA’s Special Assistant on Media, Yakub Aliyu, said the agency needed greater media publicity to help Nigerians understand its mandate and appreciate the role of hydrological information in disaster prevention.
Aliyu said Nigeria was facing the dual challenge of water scarcity and excess water, including flooding, while the contamination of water sources was adding to the risks confronting communities.
He called for greater public awareness of water-related issues and urged Nigerians to protect water sources and pay attention to early warnings issued by relevant authorities.
The engagement between NIHSA and EMCAN highlights the importance of effective public communication in managing Nigeria’s growing water-related risks, particularly as communities continue to face threats from flooding, water pollution and scarcity.
By strengthening the link between technical agencies and the media, hydrological warnings and water safety information can reach more people in forms they can understand and use to make timely decisions.
By Khadijat Omowumi Mustapha
