Nigeria is currently battling its worst flood crisis in the last ten years, with more than 300 people killed so far by the menace. In Jigawa State, more than 20 people were killed in the past week, in addition to the earlier 91 deaths recorded in the state. In Anambra, 76 citizens living in flood-ravaged areas in the state were drowned in Ogbaru council when a boat ferrying them capsized. Authorities in the state have also confirmed the death of one Ginikanwa Izuoba in the Enugu-Otu, Aguleri flood. Izuoba died when her house collapsed due to the impact of the flood.
Only few states in the country are not affected by floods. The worst hit are communities and states in the littoral regions, though upland settlements are not spared. Many families have been affected by the flood, while the number of displaced persons keeps rising.
So far, over 100,000 Nigerians have been displaced, according to the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA). At least 651,053 persons in six local government areas of Anambra State have so far been displaced by flooding. Ogbaru has the highest number of victims with 286,000 persons. Anambra West and East Local Government Areas (LGAs) follow with 237,000 and 103,000 victims, respectively. Awka North LGA has 10,345 victims, while Ayamelum has 9,240 flood cases with 5,468 displaced persons. Thousands of people have also been displaced in Rivers, Kogi, Bayelsa, Lagos and other states on account of the menacing flood.
Out of the 36 states of the federation, 27 are battling with the floods. Even Abuja is under threat of the flood sweeping from Kogi State capital, Lokoja.
Flood has also destroyed thousands of hectares of farmland, increasing fears of further disruption of food supply. The flooding in Nasarawa State affected one of the nation’s largest rice farms, Olam Nigeria Limited, which may lead to scarcity of food and hike in the prices of food items in the days ahead. The company has raised fears that the price of rice might rise by December as massive flooding from River Benue damaged its crops and infrastructure.
The vice president of the company, Ade Adefeko, who made the disclosure, said the incident affected the company’s $20 million investment and about 25 per cent of Nigeria’s rice needs. Nigeria already has challenges of food security and inflation, raising the fears of bigger crisis ahead.
Road users and residents of Lokoja, Kogi State, are currently stranded as the city has been overrun by heavy flooding. The Lokoja-Abuja Road, which connects the North and South, has practically been cut off, thereby paralyzing the economic activities, including the food supply chain on that stretch. This is probably why the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) has urged travellers on that road to use alternative routes. This comes with extra cost and loss of man-hours.
Flooding has become a recurring problem in Nigeria every year. Much of the flooding has been attributed to heavy rains and the release of dam water in neighbouring Cameroon. The failure to adhere to flood warnings adequately and inability to protect the environment have contributed to the disaster. Moving forward, it has become necessary to protect the environment and put preventive measures in place to avert the perennial flood disaster. It is high time Nigerians began to change their attitude towards the environment.
Government at all levels must rise to the occasion to prevent further loss of life and property to the floods. In addition to the remedial efforts by NEMA, there is need for preventive measures by states to mitigate the impact of floods. All the governments of the frontline states should relocate communities at risk of flooding, identify safe higher grounds for evacuation of persons and make adequate provision of food and non-food items for them. Lagos State Government has already alerted residents of the state, especially those residing on the banks of Ogun River to relocate upland, as a pre-emptive measure for more floods in the days ahead. Other states should follow suit.
Prevention and control of flooding require institutional and attitudinal approaches. Let the government ensure that water channels are not clogged with refuse. Property owners and developers should desist from embarking on any form of physical development without adherence to the stipulated rules and regulations.
The Federal Government should dialogue with Cameroon on the best ways to address the yearly release of water from its dam, which has exacerbated flooding in the country with disastrous consequences.