The presidential committee on the
recent earth tremor in Abuja has finally come up with its report, saying that
earthquake has become a potential hazard in Nigeria.
The chairman of the committee and
the Director General of the National Space Research and Development Agency,
Prof Seidu Mohammed, made this known while presenting the report of the
committee to the Minister of Science and Technology, Dr Ogbonnaya Onu in Abuja
yesterday.
This disclosure was contained in
a statement made available to journalists at the end of the presentation by the
Head, Press and Public Relations, Ministry of Science and Technology,
AbdulGaniyu Aminu
Prof. Mohammed said “A study
conducted by Julius Berger on the geological, hydrological and geotechnical
investigation for Abuja identified Mpape as a shear zone that was weak with
several fractures and faults system.”
He further explained that the
country was now prone to seismic hazards following a recent earthquake
occurrence in Kwoi, Kaduna State; Saki, Oyo State and Ibgogene in Bayelsa State
all in 2016.
The latest, he added, occurred on
September 7, 2018, in Mpape, Abuja.
“Though, these earthquakes may
have been of low-magnitude, it is now certain that earthquake occurrence has
become a potential hazard to the nation,” Mohammed was quoted to have said,
He explained further that water
extraction and recharge imbalance from aquifer were causing hydrological
instability along the fractures.
The existence of 110,000
boreholes within Abuja metropolis with about 330,000 metric tonnes of water
drilled daily was not suitable, he added.
In view of the challenges that
hinder efficient forecasting, detection and monitoring of earthquakes in
Nigeria, the committee recommended the procurement and installation of more
seismometers and GPS sensors/equipment for the enlargement and networking of
the Nigeria National Network of Seismographic Stations.
The committee further recommended
a detailed seism tectonic study using state-of-the-art equipment of the area
and the entire country.
Onu, in his response, said the
Federal Government would conduct further research and monitor earthquake-prone
areas in Abuja and other parts of the country so as to predict and forestall
probable negative fallouts in the future
The Minister also said now was
the right time that Nigeria worked on the building code and materials used in
housing construction in case tremor occurred in the future.
He said that the buildings and building
materials should be such could withstand any likely tremor.
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