THE PERENNIAL FLOODING CHALLENGE 

The authorities must do more to cushion the impact of floods

The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) at the weekend alerted Nigerians to expect floods as Cameroonian authorities release water from the Lagdo Dam. Nine states, according to NEMA, could be affected by the recent release of water from the dam, which is expected to last till the end of this month. Adamawa, Taraba, Benue, Nasarawa, Kogi, Anambra, Edo, Delta, and Bayelsa are the states where flood could wreak havocs. Already, in several parts of Nigeria within the past one month, villages and farmlands are being submerged as more and more Nigerians join the growing population of the internally displaced.  

 What compounds the problem is the lack of a coherent response. Just recently, the federal government requested Nigerians, particularly those living along the banks of the River Niger, to immediately relocate to safer areas. Not many people heeded the warning as the flood now come with a vengeance, fatalities and destruction of properties. However, it is not enough for the government to ask citizens to leave flood path without providing any measures for their relocation. There is need therefore to resettle those living close to the waters far from their flood-prone areas. That is the solution to the challenge. Naturally, there will be resistance from people who would not like to move from their present habitat, but they must be made to realise the consequences of whatever choice they make – between accepting to be resettled and staying back in their endangered communities. 

However, this perennial challenge should not be allowed to continue. Unfortunately, the situation is also avoidable in many instances. Elementary science teaches that as global temperatures rise, oceans get warmer and when water heats up, it expands, and sea levels rise as we have been witnessing in several countries in recent times. It is therefore no surprise that in several coastal cities across the world, climate change is creating a situation where too much water comes at an unexpected time, or in unexpected places causing serious problem. It is then little wonder that the densely populated, low-lying cities and towns in our country have also become an environmental nightmare for most of the inhabitants on account of flooding. 

Instructively, while Nigeria has many challenges, environment is not often listed as one of them. That only shows our national malaise of incompetence and lackadaisical attitude to serious issues. It is therefore time Nigeria became part of the global trend of putting issues of the environment on the front burner while the relevant authorities should be proactive in preventing disasters. And when they inevitably occur, governments at all tiers, complemented by private organisations and well-endowed individuals, should come to the aid of the victims as we see in other parts of the world. 

But beyond the intervention of the government at all levels is the need for Nigerians to begin to imbibe the correct attitude to waste disposal because flooding in some of our major cities cannot be solely explained by the factor of nature. The habit of the people, indeed, plays a crucial role in what has been happening over the years anytime it rains. Most of the drains are blocked due to the indiscriminate throwing on the roads and drainages, disposable empty cans, and sachet water nylons, among others.

These dirty attitudes quite naturally lead to blockages of canals and manholes resulting in the type of floods that have been witnessed in recent weeks. There are also several buildings that have been erected on drainage channels. This ugly trend must stop while state governments should ensure that all those buildings are pulled down for free flow of water into the canals.