The Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency has warned states and other stakeholders in the building and environment sectors to clear out drainages, canals and relocate people staying close to waterways to mitigate flooding this year.

Director-General of the agency, Clement Nze, who gave the warning in Abuja on Wednesday, explained that previous attempts to carry state governments along in its flood forecast efforts had not yielded the desire results.

The DG urged the state and local governments to, among other things, commenced the clearing of drainages and canals as well as encourage people living along the water-ways to relocate to safer areas before the rains start fully.

Nze, who said 317 local governments in 36 states and the FCT were affected by flood last year, added that large areas of farms were destroyed in Kebbi, Jigawa, Kano among others.

He said  floods are usually caused by high intensity rainfall of long duration, inadequate drainage of low lying areas, silted channels, urbanisation and severe winds over water, unusual high tides, tsunamis, failure of dams, levees, retention ponds, or other structures that contain water.