When it comes to flooding, the worst is yet to come. In 2022, federal authorities recorded 662 deaths on the back of severe flooding. Unfortunately, this might increase this year. According to the 2023 forecast by the Nigeria Meteorological Agency, 2023 will witness an early onset of rainfall accompanied by flooding. This means a race against time for government at all levels to avoid a repeat of the 2022 calamity.
With the increasing effects of climate change on weather patterns, strategic measures must be put in place to guarantee the safety of citizens. Nigerians must take personal responsibility for their lives by imbibing environmentally friendly habits.
According to NiMET, starting from March, coastal areas in the South-South, particularly Bayelsa, Rivers and Akwa Ibom, will experience downpours. Southern inland cities will see precipitation in April, while central states will see rain in May. This warning came in January, and it should not be trifled with.
The agency predicted extended rainfall in Gombe, Kaduna, Kwara, Enugu, Anambra, Ogun, and Lagos states. It said between June and July, the northern states of Sokoto, Kebbi, Zamfara, Kano, Katsina, Jigawa, Yobe and Borno would experience the beginning of rain, which will peak between July and September. State governments must proactively respond.
The heavy human and material losses to the 2022 flooding should be enough warning of the danger of being caught unprepared in a natural disaster. No fewer than 33 states were affected by the deluge. The heavy rain washed away thousands of houses, hectares of farmland and property estimated at billions of naira.
The National Emergency Management Agency estimated that over two million Nigerians were displaced across the country. The Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Sadiq Farouq, put the value of economic damage at N4.2 trillion. In 2012, when floods killed more than 363 people and displaced over 2.1 million, the economy suffered a setback of N2.6 trillion. Such heavy losses are hard to recoup but can be mitigated by adequate preparations
The truth is that behind many preventable tragedies in the country is the hydra-headed monster of pervasive corruption. In three years, the Federal Government allocated N1 trillion for ecological and disaster management. The National Assembly is still probing the whereabouts of the money.
After the 2012 flooding, former President Goodluck Jonathan gave a grant of N17.6 billion to assist with relief efforts and fix damaged infrastructure. In less than a year afterwards, the then Secretary to the Taraba State Government, Emmanuel Njiwah, five commissioners and two special advisers were sacked for mismanaging the N400 million grant for the state. A chunk of the funds allocated to many of the affected states remained unaccounted for. Public officials who embezzle funds meant for public good could be charged with capital offences, especially when their actions trigger mass deaths and losses.
Nigeria must wake up and smell the coffee. The time and efforts expended in mobilising relief resources for flood victims can be better invested in putting measures in place to mitigate the effects of flooding. The report of the Federal Government Committee for the Development of a Comprehensive Plan of Action for the Prevention of Flood Disasters in Nigeria, which was set up in November 2022 in the aftermath of last year’s flooding, should be available now with its 90-day term of reference. The recommendations should be made public immediately and implemented to justify the public funds expended.
Apart from heavy rainfall, the 2012 flooding has been said to be the result of the release of water from the Lagdo Dam in neighbouring Cameroon with no corresponding dam in Nigeria to receive the water. The Federal Government must address this situation immediately. The Dasin Hausa Dam in Adamawa State should be completed to cushion the effect of the waters released from Cameroon. A recent study shows that while some of the dams in the country have been neglected, others are ageing and should be urgently repaired.
While it is commendable that NiMET and NEMA have been at the forefront of creating awareness on weather conditions, state governments have huge roles to play in creating action plans with the information. States must take urgent steps by constructing adequate drainage channels and canals while clearing existing ones.
Studies have shown that poor drainage systems form part of the major threats to urban environments and create serious flood problems. Awarding road contracts without provision for good drainage is a recipe for disaster.
States must also restrict construction on flood plains and drains. Politically exposed persons have used their influence to build in places that jeopardise the people around them. This must stop. State governments must enforce their town planning policies and allow professionals to do their jobs without any form of interference.
Years of disregard for sound town planning is causing serious damage to the environment. States should heed the recent advice by the Director-General of NEMA, Mustapha Ahmed, to empower the state emergency management agencies to be operationally ready.
Nigerians must take personal responsibility for their safety. People living in coastal areas and lowlands could relocate to avert the impending floods. It is important that civil societies, rights campaigners, and non-governmental organisations support awareness initiatives in local communities. This way, the message will go far, and there will be a drastic reduction in the loss of lives and property to flooding. Nigerians must stop unhealthy and dangerous habits of clogging drains with waste, which contributes to the flooding problem.
Indeed, climate change is worsening weather conditions the world over, as reflected in reported extreme rainfall globally and rise in sea level. Last year, over 1,000 people were killed by catastrophic floods in Pakistan with over 30 million people impacted. South Korea experienced the heaviest rains it had ever had in 100 years. Torrential rains destroyed thousands of homes in Uganda and killed at least 30. According to the United Nations Environment Programme, flood-related catastrophes increased by 134 per cent since 2000. Nigeria must not be caught napping again.
