In 2022, massive floods swept through many states in Nigeria, particularly states that lie along the major rivers of the Niger, the Benue and their tributaries, leaving behind extensive destruction of lives and property. Similar flooding occurred in 2023 but on a lighter scale but also serious catastrophes.
Last week, the Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency (NIHSA) issued a warning that Nigerian communities downstream of the River Niger are likely to be seriously impacted by the significant flooding along the River Niger from the Niger Republic and Mali.
The Director-General of NIHSA, Umar Ibrahim Mohammed, said, “The situation in Niamey is informed by upstream activities in both Niger and Mali; floodwaters from these two countries are expected to flow gradually into Nigeria through Kebbi State.
“The dam operators at Kainji and Jebba on the River Niger have been informed and are prepared: it is important to note that as at 22nd August 2024, the dams are not spilling water from their reservoirs.
“There is need for all the states and communities along the River Niger system to be on alert all through August ending and September; NIHSA will continue to monitor the flood situation in the country, and provide periodic update accordingly.”
The Minister of Water Resources and Sanitation, Prof. Joseph Utsev, while unveiling the NIHSA’s 2024 Annual Flood Outlook (AFO), noted that the AFO for 2024 indicates that 148 Local Government Areas (LGAs) in 31 States of the Federation are at risk of high flood, while 249 LGAs in 35 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) are within areas with moderate flood risk.
The states are Cross River, Delta, Ebonyi, Edo, Imo, Jigawa, Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Kebbi, Kogi, Kwara, Lagos, Nasarawa, Rivers, Adamawa, Akwa-Ibom, Anambra, Bauchi, Bayelsa, Benue, Borno, and Nasarawa.
For Bayelsans, the disaster of 2022 cannot be forgotten in a hurry. Over 95 percent of Bayelsans were estimated to have been displaced by the flood. Though many victims had recovered their lives after the disaster, if the prediction by NIMET is anything to go by this year, they may have to go through another season of turmoil, which could be made worse by the prevailing economic hardship in the country.
Many displaced victims are still in the temporary shelters. One of the victims who gave her name as Blessing, who lost her marriage because of the flood, told National Point that she could not return to Bayelsa State let alone remarry the man whom she had three children with.
She said her estranged husband abandoned her with her children during the 2022 flood, when she gave birth to her third child.
Blessing, who returned to her parents after the floods, said that she would not want to have a second experience of 2022.
At Amassoma in Southern Ijaw local government area of the state where flood occurs heavily, many locals appealed to the state government to do everything possible to avert the experience of 2022, even though a lot of the people expressed the belief that this year’s flooding would not hit as hard as the 2022 flood.
One of the residents, Daniella Ikputu a young girl seeking university admission, said that if the flood comes again, she would willingly welcome it. She said she made money because she used her canoe to ferry people across flooded roads.
“If flood comes again this year, I will be happy. I used the time of last two years’ flood to make money because I was ferrying people across from that broken road into the community. With this economic situation in the country, it will be a good business,”
Another resident Madam Joy Durumor, who sells potatoes in the community said though the flood was devastating and disrupted her business it was not high enough in her area to submerge her house.
She said, “The flood was so bad and it affected us here including our businesses. I was very lucky it didn’t get into my house because my house is high.
On what she knows about the flood alert, Durumor said, “I heard that there was a plan to barricade the river but I don’t know why they didn’t do it again. Also, I heard that NDDC, gave out contract to do a shore line protection but it was not done.”
Another youth by name Cletus Yianga, who is into timber lumbering, said that the flood used to always wreck people’s lives. He appealed to government to provide remediation tuffs after the flood to help stabilize survivors of the disaster.
“If government can help with palliatives after the flood, it will not be too bad. At least, from there, people will start life again,” he said.
And at Ekpetiama Community in Yenagoa local government area, where the 2022 flood took a serious toll, a resident, Waribo Bukolo said apart from the yearly flooding that doesn’t wreck much havoc, that of 2022 was very devastating and would not be forgotten in a hurry.
He said that the losses of that year were still fresh in the minds of the people. He however urged the state government to promptly respond to this year’s prediction by NIMET.
“We are hearing again that flood will come again this year but I’m pleading with state government to do everything possible to make sure that the effect is not as bad as that of last two years.
“Last two years was so bad that we had to relocate to Yenagoa and those that didn’t have anywhere to go to suffered it till the flood was over. Government should do something now that the flood has not come like providing a make shift shelter where people can stay if it comes again this year. They should also make enough food available for those that will be at the camping ground especially now that people are suffering because of the hardship in the country.”
In Yenagoa, one of the women that took abode in a secondary school with this reporter during the 2022 flood, Madam Preye Tare, said that she has relocated to a safer place (Osisri).
She said after suffering the 2022 flood that destroyed her house, she had to sell off the house and move to a safer place where flood doesn’t get to. She said, “I have gone to get a house inside Osisri. I can’t wait to face what I faced in 2022.”
Also Madam Caroline Kadiri, 72, staying at Cameroun camp said if the flood comes again she will go back to the Oxbow lake IDP camp. “If it comes again, I will go back to the IDP camp if they will have one,” she said.
For Thomas in his mid-30s a Togolees and an electrician who has already built his house around Prosco and was displaced in 2022, “If this thing happens again, that will be my last time staying Nigeria. My wife just had a baby and I can’t afford to see her suffer with my daughter.”
And for Miss Excel Dangosi, a 20-year-old, lady and student of University of Africa, Toru-Orua, the flood will not be coming this year. “Flood is not coming this year. It comes every ten years. Even though it is coming, it will not be as bad as 2022 own.”
Meanwhile, some Canals have been opened in Yenagoa in preparatory to the flooding. The chairman, directorate of flood and erosion control, Omusco Omusco, however declined to speak on the project. He rather directed this reporter should go and listen to his reaction on radio, where he said that he had been speaking about it.
In Rivers State, weather officials said the flood would ravage communities arounf Orashi River in Ogba/Egbema/ Ndoni, Ahoada West, Ahoada East and Abua Odual, where residents have already been gripped by fear. This year’s prediction by NIMET also included Degema, Akuku-Toru, Asari-Toru, Okrika, Port Harcourt and others.
In 2012, 2018 and 2022, the flood came aggressively destroying lives and properties of citizens worth billions of naira and overwhelmed government at all levels and the agencies saddled with the responsibility to responding to it.
National Point spoke to stakeholders some stakeholders in the state to get their views about the predications on the flood.
Dr. Omubo Harry, National Chairman South-South Chiefs, Elders and Opinion Leaders Association of Nigeria, said blocked canals and drainages would make the situation very bad if the flooding comes.
“In the Niger Delta, we lack basic infrastructural development, no good road network not to talk of drainage because good road network should come with proper drainage system which empties the water to the sea. But since there is lack of development and lack of government to revamp the infrastructural aspect if it now causes intense flooding in the region, our canals are blocked and the federal government is not considering the Niger Delta as an area that need specific needs.”
He appealed to the state and federal government to look into the specific areas of the region and do something about the canals and drainages.
On his part Comrade Anaye Tunde Kio, also known as Continuous Ijaw Action (CIA) said the Niger Delta region doesn’t have a proper garbage collection.
“Riverine areas are not free. They are clogged by debris as a result of wreck or massive dumping of waste to block canals and drains. “They have set up panel after panel; environmental bodies have deliberated and suggestions made but nothing has been done to it because the country is very poor at execution,” Kio lamented.
The state National Orientation Agency (NOA) Mr. Young Ayo-Tamuno, said even without NIMET making predictions about impending floods, the geological calendar of the state indicates that it is flooding season and the people should be conscious of it.
“For instance, in Orashi area, we have freshwater and when the underground water is saturated it is bound to exceed its natural bounds. So, it is expected that the people in this area, the local government areas based on NIMET prediction, should take extra measures to safeguard themselves,” he said.
He said the state capital, Port Harcourt city is not free from flooding. “Port Harcourt waterways drain into the river and the master plan of the city should be respected. But people build on these natural drains and waterways and in the process block drainages. Once there is a little rainfall, the city is flooded.
“The water channel starts from Isiokpo to behind Air Force Base down to Genesis to inter-Woba creek and down to the river. But over time, politically exposed persons rather than protect have compromised public interest in one way or the other. So, now Port Harcourt also faces flooding.”
Ayo-Tamuno explained that before government embarks on any project they are supposed to do environmental audit. “But they are not done. The political interest and lack of political will is majorly the cause of some of the things happening.”
On what Rivers State Government is doing to respond to the NIMET alert, the Commissioner for Information and Communications, Chief Joe Johnson, said in the absence of a state emergency management agency, an adhoc body was set up two years ago to handle the situation.
In 2022, the Rivers State Government set up an inter-ministerial committee headed by Dr. George Amaechi the present Head of Service, was the Chairman of the committee. The state government then released the sum of N1 billion for the rehabilitation of victims of the disaster.
Meanwhile, the federal government says over 51 percent of farming areas in Nigeria are at risk of flooding this year.
The minister of state for agriculture, and food security, Aliyu Abdullahi, said the 2024 flood outlook released by the ministry of water resources and sanitation, had identified 148 local government areas in 31 states as high flood-risk zones.
He said 249 LGAs in all the 36 states, including the federal capital territory (FCT), are categorised as moderate flood-risk areas.
He said, “In simple terms, 397 LGAs out of the total 774 LGAs in Nigeria, representing over 51 percent of our farming areas are at risk of flooding.
“We are witnessing the clear and present existential threats of climate change and its impact on our local food systems.”
