Of floods and its havocs
The floodwaters have returned, wreaking havoc across Nigeria once again. The nation watches in horror as the death toll continues to climb. As of August 30, the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) reported that 195 lives had already been lost to the deluge, a devastating toll by any measure.
On August 28, NEMA revealed that floods had ravaged 113 out of the 774 Local Government Areas (LGAs) across 28 of the 36 states. The floods have displaced 207,902 people and affected a total of 526,703 others. In a belated response, governments are scrambling to manage the disaster, but the situation remains dire.
Given that the floods are still raging, the water level in the River Benue is steadily rising, and Cameroon is set to release water from the Lagdo Dam, these figures are likely to rise. The devastation follows a depressingly familiar pattern, with state governments displaying an alarming level of negligence.
Despite repeated warnings and alarms from NEMA, the Nigerian Meteorological Agency, and the Ministry of Environment since mid-2023, state governments failed to act. The list of vulnerable areas included Langtang and Shendam in Plateau, Sumaila and Tudun Wada in Kano, Shagari and Goronyo in Sokoto, as well as numerous others across Delta, Kaduna, Akwa Ibom, Adamawa, Katsina, Kebbi, Zamfara, Borno, Jigawa, Kwara, and Niger states.
As 2024 progressed, NEMA continued to issue warnings and urged evacuations from flood-prone zones. The current disaster indicates that state governments either ignored these warnings or were indifferent to them.
The floods of 2024 are proving to be just as catastrophic. In Sokoto, bandits have extorted over N160 billion from an already beleaguered populace, exploiting the chaos brought on by the floods.
The River Benue has reached the yellow warning point in Adamawa and continues to rise. In Kogi, Delta, and Anambra, the floods are expected to converge as the waters from the River Benue meet those of the River Niger, creating a perfect storm that threatens to devastate these regions.
According to the National Bureau of Statistics, the 36 states received N39.62 billion in ecological funds from June 2023 to June 2024. However, the misuse of these funds is evident, and there should be accountability for their poor management.
The Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs reported that the 2022 floods resulted in a loss of $9.12 billion to Nigeria, affecting 4.9 million people.
The failure is not confined to the state level alone. Local government authorities are equally culpable. LGAs are supposed to be the first line of defense in any disaster management plan. However, in most cases, the LGAs were either unresponsive or contributed to the chaos by failing to coordinate with state and federal agencies.
The silence from LGAs is deafening. How many of them can demonstrate any level of preparation for the floods? They must explain why, despite ample warnings, they allowed their communities to be caught unprepared.
The time for action is now. With climate change intensifying, these floods will continue to threaten the country for years to come. Nigeria cannot afford to be caught off guard year after year. The lives of its citizens are too precious to be left in the hands of governors and local authorities who have repeatedly shown that they are either unwilling or unable to protect them. A new approach is urgently needed—one that prioritizes the safety and well-being of the people.
As the floodwaters rise, so too must the people’s demand for accountability. The devastation witnessed today is the result of years of negligence, incompetence, and mismanagement.
Governors and LGAs must answer for their failures, and the Federal Government must take decisive action to ensure this tragedy does not repeat itself. Proactive governance is needed, not reactive excuses. The lives and livelihoods of millions of Nigerians depend on it.
