Adamawa State flooding: NIWA Yola Area Office Manager takes proactive step to sensitize people

 Written by: Blessed Adjekpagbon 

As a result of the torrential downpours that have been causing flooding in some communities in Adamawa State in recent times, the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) has embarked on a sensitization project to enlighten the people, to avoid exposing themselves to danger when travelling on the state's waterways.

Mrs. Nana Jika, Manager of NIWA, Yola Area Office said, "I and my management team have taken a proactive step to sensitize operators of boats transportation and people living in communities where water is the means of transportation, on the need for compliance to safety standards while travelling on the state's waterways."

This information was received by Bulkybon News during a visit to the NIWA Yola Area office in Jimeta.  The manager said there is an ongoing sensitization programme by herself and her team members, to various communities that rely on transportation by water every day. She informs that she and her officials are preparing to visit Wuro Boki community on 22 August 2025, to sensitize operators of boats transportation and their passengers, to maintain safety standards, to avoid mishaps and unnecessary loss of live while travelling on the state's waterways. 

Mrs. Nana Jika and her team

This, she said, is very necessary especially now that the state has been experiencing heavy downpours from the weeping sky from time to time. The sensitization programme is tagged “NIWA, Yola Area Office 2025 Sensitization on Safety and Flood Awareness.”

She pointed that, "We don't want disasters to happen before taking action. That is why we are taking this proactive step to avoid 'had I known,' which is usually the expression of regret, after failing to take the necessary step that could have prevented any mishap. We recently carried out a sensitization programme in some other communities. Wuro Boki is the next.”

A large quantity of flyers and life jackets to be distributed to the operators of boat transportation and the public in Wuro Boki, for the safety of the stakeholders and passengers during the aforementioned upcoming sensitization programme by the Adamawa State NIWA officials, were shown to Bulkybon News.

The key points of the sensitization programme are: no overload, no night sailing, no travelling on hard drugs, and no life jacket no travelling. According to the manager, the distribution of the items is meant to prevent the loss of life in case of any unexpected occurrence, even though nobody prays for any mishap. She oversees the operation of the NIWA in both Adamawa and Gombe States in the North East region of Nigeria.

END