‘Tsunami Not Likely In Nigeria’

Rear Admiral Benjackson Noshiri, Chairman of Marine Engineering  and Naval Architecture Division of the Nigerian Navy, says tsunami is unlikely to occur in Nigeria.

He said that all known geographical facts could confirm his assertion.

Noshiri  said last week in Lagos that tsunami is caused by volcanoes, undersea earthquakes and landslide which mostly occurred in coastal regions.

“Most tsunamis occur in the Pacific Ocean because the Pacific Ocean is surrounded by the Ring of Fire, a highly active volcano and earthquake zone” he said.

Noshiri said that it was very unlikely that Nigeria would experience a tsunami because of the country’s geographical location and lack of tsunami causing agents.

“We don’t have volcanoes, we don’t have a history of earthquake and it’s unlikely that we will experience one and a landslide is impossible along our coastal line.

“Although we have experienced earth movement in the past, the movement was minor in magnitude and it did not occur on our coastal region, where it can be a threat,” he said.

According to him, the only known tsunami in the African soil happened in 2004 in Somalia, when an undersea earthquake occurred in the Indian Ocean, which devastated India and a major portion of Southeast Asia.

“The tsunami didn’t affect Somalia much because the wave moved downwards on the eastern side of the fault line and upwards on the western side and the western pulse hit coastal Africa,” he said.

Noshiri said that although it was unlikely for a tsunami to happen in Nigeria, the country should still prepare for any natural disaster.