The unions of the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) have suspended a planned strike that was set to begin at midnight on Wednesday.

This was stated in a release signed in Abuja on Wednesday by Mr Tunde Moshood, Special Adviser on Media and Communications to the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development.

According to the statement, the unions called off the strike following a crucial meeting with Mr Festus Keyamo, the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, to discuss general staff welfare issues.

‎” After extensive deliberations, a thorough review of facts and figures, an amicable resolution was reached, leading to the suspension of the planned strike action, which was earlier scheduled to commence by midnight today.

The communiqué, signed by representatives from both parties, outlined the following resolutions:

‎” The meeting resolved that the Minister and the Permanent Secretary will engage relevant authorities for due consideration of the salary relativity subject matter,” it said.

‎It stated that all stakeholders agreed to be patient and committed while consistently following up on the payment of 2024 Minimum Wage and nine months of Consequential Salary Adjustment arrears.

‎”The NiMet Management shall, with immediate effect, pay the thirty (30) omitted staff from the Agency’s Internally Generated Revenue.

‎”On the issue of furniture grant, it was agreed that 35 per cent of the approved furniture grant shall be implemented immediately while the remaining 65 per cent shall be captured and paid in the 2026 Annual Budget,” it said.

‎it noted that the Ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Mr Ibrahim Kana, will form an inter-agency committee to reconcile funds owed to NiMet from sister agencies.

‎The statement said that NiMet management would involve union representatives in pursuing approvals for allowances and establishment matters with the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission .

‎”The Office of the Head of Civil Service of the Federation; and management should also be proactive in obtaining all necessary approvals within reasonable timeframes.

‎”Based on these mutual understandings and resolutions, the planned industrial action by NiMet staff has been officially suspended.

‎”The minister commended the union leaders for their maturity, constructive engagement, and sense of responsibility.

“It emphasised the ministry’s continued commitment to promoting staff welfare, industrial harmony, and institutional reforms that will enhance productivity and service delivery in the aviation sector.” (NAN)

The Ogun State Government has urged residents living in riverbank and wetland areas of Akute, Alagbole, Isheri, Magboro,Makogi, Orimerunmu, Iro, Kajola and part of Abeokuta specifically Lafenwa, Enugada, Adedotun, Iberekodo, Akin-Olugbade, and Ago-Odo to prepare for overflow of Ogun River in the next two weeks, from the 20th of October and the 3rd of November.

This is part of its continued efforts at mitigating flooding in the state and it’s attendant effects on residents through its periodic Flood Alert, the third for the year.

In the latest flood alert released by the Ogun State Commissioner for Environment, Ola Oresanya, the overflow from Ogun River would rise as a result of controlled release of water from Oyan Dam due to heavy rainfall from up-north.

Oresanya said this would increase the volume of water reaching the dam from that part of the country which would be compounded by increase in tidal level.

The increase in the waterflow into the dam according to the Commissioner would inevitably forced the release of water from the dam that would affect the areas as he urged residents of the areas to exercise caution and avoid loss of lives and property within the period, the alert added.

The commissioner emphasised the need for residents of the areas to avoid the riverbank while those in the wetlands should move to higher grounds or elevate their stay for now as the overflow becomes inevitable.

According to him, as part of the mitigating plans, the Ogun State Government had continuously dredged and opened up more tributaries for Ogun River to ease the pressure of the overflow on residents in collaboration with the Ogun Osun River Basin Authority -owners of Oyan Dam who have continually ensured a controlled release of water from the dam throughout the year

The commissioner equally noted that at this period last year, the volume of water released from the dam was over 17,000 million litres per day as against over 12,000 million litres per day at this period despite the heavy rainfall signalling painstaking efforts at controlled release of water from the dam this year.

He therefore enjoined residents of the areas not to panic as the tide will go down in about ten days as the mitigating measures from the state government cannot stop the activities of nature as the impact of climate change is felt more by the state as one of the coastal states in Nigeria.

The Commissioner further revealed that the state is also a gateway or an outlet to empty the waterflow from Northern part of the country into the lagoon.

He therefore used the opportunity to once again called on fish farmers in the area to harvest their fish if they have not done so in order to avoid inevitable losses.

The National Flood Early Warning Centre under the Federal Ministry of Environment, has predicted that 16 states will experience heavy rainfall and flooding between October 4 and October 8,2025.

The prediction notice was contained and signed by the Director, Erosion, Flood and Coastal Zone Management Department, Usman Abdullahi Bokani.

The ministry urged relevant stakeholders and state governments to take precautionary measures to mitigate the potential impacts of the predicted flooding.

According to the centre, the areas likely to be hit include: Delta State (Asaba), Yobe State (Damaturu), Sokoto State (Isa), Zamfara State (Anka, Bungudu, Gusau, Kaura-Namoda, Maradun, Shinkafi), Katsina State (Jibia), Oyo State (Kisi, Oyo), Kebbi State (Ribah, Sakaba, Yelwa), Kano State (Gwarzo, Sumaila, Karaye) and Niger State (Kontagora, Mashegu, Mokwa, New-Bussa, Rijau, Wushishi).

Others are Kwara State (Kosubosu), Benue State (Agaku, Buruku, Gboko, Katsina-Ala, Ugba), Borno State (Briyel), Bayelsa State (Brass, Ikpidiama, Odoni), Cross River State (Edor, Ikom), Rivers State (Itu, Ahoada), and Enugu State (Nsukka).

According to the National Emergency Management Agency, as of September 20, at least 232 persons had lost their lives, while 121,224 others had been displaced following floods that swept through parts of the country.

The 2025 flood dashboard shows that at least 339,658 people have been affected so far, with 681 sustaining various degrees of injuries.