2 months ago
9 ARTICLE AD
NIGERIANS are traumatised by the displacement, deaths, and destruction of properties caused by the raging flood in the country. President Bola Tinubu should intensify the rescue efforts by the emergency response agencies and the military in the affected states. In addition, Nigeria needs to rejig its climate change strategies and be at alert to reduce the devastating impact of future natural disasters.
In Maiduguri, Borno State, the Alau Dam, a 112 million metre cube reservoir in the Konduga LGA collapsed and overflowed its banks on Monday. The National Emergency Management Agency recorded 30 deaths, 414,000 displaced, and 23,000 households affected, while 70 per cent of the capital was submerged.
Floods took over Yenagoa, the Bayelsa State capital, in the same week due to torrential rainfall. Many residents became homeless; students were stranded while farmers did premature harvesting.
Bauchi State suffered huge devastation from flooding. Scores have died and property worth N22 billion was destroyed. “But from the report they have recorded, 24 lost their life, 163 were injured, 16 local government areas were affected, 60 culverts washed away, 12 major roads were cut off, 178 electric and poles were destroyed, 11,183 livestock and 122,330 households were affected, and 52,000 houses were destroyed,” a commissioner lamented on Monday.
Indeed, Maiduguri has become a soggy graveyard. Despite early metrological warnings, there was no respite for residents as areas perceived to be high grounds were intruded upon by the flood. Several children are reported missing while many residents are suspected to have drowned.
Social services were brought to a halt as the Post Office, the State Secretariat, and the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital were submerged. The deluge compromised the Maiduguri prison leading to the escape of 200 inmates.
It exhumed bodies from the Gwange Cemetery, releasing crocodiles, snakes, and wildlife from the Shehu Kyarimi Park. A state plagued by terrorism, food insecurity, and multidimensional poverty is now grappling with the flood.
The collapse of the dam, constructed in 1986 to provide water for domestic use and irrigation purposes, poses dangerous implications. The harvest has been sabotaged and the public health of residents has been imperilled by contaminated water. This may lead to a rise in incidences of waterborne diseases amidst the shortfall of medical personnel and hospitals.
Although efforts have been made by Governor Babagana Zulum, NEMA, and the Presidency, including the recent approval of N3 billion to states to ramp up guardrails against the flood, Nigeria fails to be pre-emptive but is constantly scrambling to contain disasters.
The collapse of the Alau Dam is not unprecedented. A similar disaster involving the dam occurred in 1994. It affected Kebbi, Kaduna, Sokoto, Katsina, Kwara, Plateau, and parts of Cameroon.
The seasonal release of water from the Lagdo Dam in Cameroon is another recurring cause of flooding, particularly in Benue, Kogi, and Anambra. This year, the water release has had an unusual impact, with entire communities submerged and lives uprooted.
These highlight the failure of the government to maintain existing ecological infrastructure while building new ones. NBS data showed that states received N39.6 billion from the Federation Account from June 2023 to June 2024 as ecological funds. This should be put to proper use.
NEMA says 29 states and 172 LGAs have been adversely affected. This involves 229 deaths, 386,239 displaced, 2,390 injured, 491 houses and 125,805 farmland. In August, floods ravaged 113 LGAs in 28 states.
The metrological and relevant emergency response agencies need to be equipped with manpower, training, and technology to thoroughly monitor the volume of water, provide accurate predictions, and deploy international best practices to curtail the harsh effects of climate change.
The government needs to hasten the emplacement of early warning systems in all the states. Residents should not take broadcast warnings from NiMET with kid gloves.
