Anguish as Flood Crisis in Nigeria Worsens 

Hike in fuel and food prices, submerged communities, inaccessible roads, displaced residents and deaths have marked the humanitarian crisis caused by massive flooding from the opening of the Lagdo dam in Cameroon ravaging states like Anambra, Delta, Cross River, Rivers and Bayelsa. Is evacuation the answer to this lingering problem? Yinka Olatunbosun asks

The distress tweet by a lawyer Janice Melvin was backed by a short video clip: “People have been displaced and many left homeless as a result of the flood. Almost all the farmlands in the state have been submerged and there is scarcity of food supply which has resulted in the state. No roads, no flood, no help.”

This is one of the numerous messages that flooded the internet in the wake of the ravaging flood that has torn Bayelsa state apart. Residents have abandoned their homes. Some moved in with friends and relatives in the highlands while others slept at their offices. Reportedly, six out of eight local governments in the state have been completely submerged.

Another disturbing one reads: “My people are suffering and the state government is not doing something about it. People are homeless…a litre of fuel is almost N600. God save us,’’ Phoebe Oviekini@shesco_co wrote.

In the same vein, another tweep @KingErefitei wrote: “My neighbor bought one small onion N200 today in Yenagoa. That same size of onion was sold for N50 just three days ago. Fuel is sold N700/litre, custard of garri is N2500/N3000 from N1000. This is because no vehicle can enter Yenagoa by road. We’re in deep trouble.”

The situation gets worse by the hour. Some have reportedly left their homes surrounded by dry land and returned to find their houses submerged. A caller from Yenagoa expressed her concerns about the crisis. 

“This is far worse than what we experienced in 2012,’’ a cultural worker who preferred to be anonymous revealed. “I left my house with my credentials, a few clothes and my son. I am not sure if the water would not have surpassed the window level by now. I thank God that I still have a phone to call you. Some people are in far worse condition, no food, no water, no light.’’

Citizens Wade in…

A humanitarian group, Native Preacher’s Flood Victims Support Group has been set up in Bayelsa state to provide food, shelter, clothing, good drinking water, medical supplies as it continues to call on the media to amplify the situation in order to get the attention of the concerned authorities. The organisation has also partnered Enibo Albert Foundation to provide relief for the flood victims.

Why the Floods Return…

In September, the National Emergency Management Agency and the Nigerian Hydrological Services Agency informed Nigerians that the “Lagdo Dam operators in the Republic of Cameroon had commenced the release of excess water from the reservoir on September 13, 2022.’’

They added that the released water cascades down into Nigeria through River Benue and its tributaries thereby overwhelming communities that have already been impacted by heavy rainfall.

Meanwhile, a viral post on social media has alleged that upon the completion of Lagdo Dam in 1982, Cameroon and Nigeria entered an agreement to build two dams such that when water is released from the Cameroonian dam, the Nigerian dam would contain it and prevent flooding. Dasin Hause Dam in Adamawa state was said to be the project which never saw a completion.

Relevant authorities were tight-lipped when asked about this claim. Meanwhile, the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Hajiya Sadiya Umar Farouq revealed to the press on Sunday, October 15 the current situation of the flood crisis.

“Despite all our efforts of averting the consequence of the 2022 flooding season, unfortunately we have recorded the loss of over 500 lives, partial or total damage of more than 90,000 houses, damage of more than 140,000 hectares of farmland so many roads and other critical infrastructures were also affected,’’ she said.

An urgent meeting with technical stakeholders was held on October 11 where it was resolved that the situation, though heightened by climate change, can be mitigated and managed.

“We must initiate a bilateral discussion with authorities in Cameroon next month on the periodic opening of the Lagdo Dam. For a coordinated flood response protocol, the meeting agreed to implement the National Flood Emergency Preparedness and Response Plan.’’

Further, the Minister warned that Anambra, Delta, Cross River, Rivers and Bayelsa will still experience the floods up till the end of November.

“We are calling on the respective state governments, LGAs and communities to prepare by evacuating people living on flood plains to high grounds, providing tents and relief materials, fresh water as well as medical supply for possible outbreak of water-borne disease.’’

While evacuation of flood victims seems to be the only solution to this lingering humanitarian crisis, experts in hydrology have deeper insights into the situation which is not limited to Nigeria.

What Experts Say…

Dam projects have been subjects of intellectual scrutiny over the years. For instance, in a 2001 research conducted by the World Wide Fund for nature (WWF), it is said that dam managers can avoid extreme floods by applying the recommendations of the first ever World Commission on Dams (WCD) to future dams.

In the research, World Bank engineers held that “dam managers often leave it too late to make emergency releases of water at times of very high rainfall and exceptional river flows.”

The WWF recommends that dam construction must align with the natural river system, provide adequate spillways and meet the needs of the people who rely on the river downstream.

From all indications, Nigeria is in dire need of a flow-through dam for flood control. These dams are different from reservoir dams which are built primarily for water storage and power generation.  According to the United Nations Climate Technology Centre and Network, the flow-through dam is designed solely for the purpose of flood control and has the advantage of being converted to a reservoir dam. 

Indeed, improving flood control is a crucial part of the global conversation on climate change adaptation towards saving precious lives and valuables.



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This is far worse than what we experienced in 2012… I left my house with my credentials, a few clothes and my son. I am not sure if the water would not have surpassed the window level by now. I thank God that I still have a phone to call you. Some people are in far worse condition, no food, no water, no light