Photo File: Flooding in Taraba State

As floodwaters rise across Taraba State, claiming lives and destroying property, the Agro-Climatic Resilience in Semi-Arid Landscapes (ACReSAL) project has launched an urgent coordinated response with government agencies, development partners, and stakeholders to avert a looming disaster.

The action comes after a series of flood-related tragedies in just two weeks, including three deaths in Gassol Local Government Area during a boat mishap on the River Benue near the damaged Namnai Bridge and another fatality in Jalingo after a torrential downpour submerged parts of the city.

Identified by the Nigerian Hydrological Services Agency (NIHSA) as one of the states most vulnerable to severe flooding in 2025, Taraba faces weeks of heavier rainfall. ACReSAL is now intensifying preventive measures to avoid what could become one of the most destructive floods in years.

At a strategic stakeholders’ meeting in Jalingo over the weekend, Taraba State Environmental Safeguard Officer for ACReSAL, Dahiru Umar, stressed the urgency of the situation. “We cannot stop the rains, but we can reduce the damage,” he said. “The safety of lives and livelihoods is our priority.”

Planned interventions include desilting blocked drainages, relocating residents from high-risk areas across seven flood-prone local government areas, and reinstating monthly environmental sanitation exercises. The project is also supporting the Taraba State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), which has begun distributing life jackets to riverine communities, mapping vulnerable settlements, and intensifying public sensitisation campaigns.

A SEMA official noted that the agency has already identified the most at-risk communities and is working to ensure residents understand the dangers and safety measures. The meeting also resolved to identify proper dumpsites across LGAs and strictly enforce regulations against building on flood plains or blocking drainage routes.

Despite these efforts, some residents are concerned about the pace and reach of government action, warning that rural communities remain under-informed and unprepared.

With the rainy season still in its early stages, ACReSAL and its partners are in a race against time to protect lives and property before the floods worsen.