SOUTHERN NIGERIA FLOODS: HOW WIDESPREAD FLOOD IS AFFECTING PEOPLE

The recent release of excess water from a dam in neighbouring Cameroon coupled with extreme rainfall is causing major problems in Nigeria.

During the past couple of weeks, it has been reported by the Nigerian Government that over 1.4 million Nigerians have been displaced, and 500 lives claimed.

According to the reports, the floods have also injured 1,546 people, inundated 70,566 hectares of farmland, and “totally damaged” 45,249 homes, said Nasir Sani-Gwarzo, the permanent secretary in Nigeria’s Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management, and Social Development.

Flooding has affected 27 of Nigeria’s 36 states with states like Rivers, Bayelsa, Kogi, and Delta state being affected the most after gruesome images of those places surfaced on the internet recently.

The current flood is the worst in Nigeria’s history in the last decade, as places like Kogi state is no stranger to seasonal flooding as the capital is at the confluence of two of West Africa’s biggest rivers – the river Benue and the river Niger. During the rainy season, the rivers overflow their banks, causing flooding.

Meanwhile, in Bayelsa State, the devastative floods had displaced no fewer than 700,000 residents statewide while 300 communities were submerged statewide.

The Commissioner for Environment, Mr. Iselema Gbaranbiri raised the concern while giving an update on the committee’s activities recently as according to him, about 700,000 persons have either been displaced or affected by the flood.

In Rivers state, Over 200 communities in four local councils of Rivers State, namely – Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni (ONELGA), Ahoada West, Ahoada East,d Abual Odual – have been displaced by ravaging flood. The recent flood has seen the Governor of the state has approved the sum of N1 billion for emergency relief measures to support flood victims, especially in Ahoada West and Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni Local Government Areas of the State.

WHY ARE SO MANY GRUESOME IMAGINES ALL OVER THE INTERNET??

Experts there say the causes for Nigeria’s seasonal flooding are complex and include poor infrastructure and erosion, but climate change is adding to the issue.

Meanwhile, since the beginning of Nigeria’s rainy season, which lasts from April to October, the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) and the Nigerian Hydrological Services Agency (NIHSA), said that flooding was imminent and that parts of the country would experience heavier rainfall compounded by water flowing from Lagdo Dam in Cameroon. The agencies predicted that the volume of water across Nigeria would increase.

“Communities must recognize that all disasters are local and they must take climate predictions and flood outlook warnings seriously,” said Alhaji Ali Grema, Nigeria’s director of humanitarian affairs.

Sani-Gwarzo, the government’s permanent secretary, said the scale of this year’s flooding is similar to the last major flooding Nigeria experienced, in 2012, which displaced 1.3 million people and claimed the lives of 431. In 2012, 30 of the 36 states were affected.

“The scale of devastation can only be compared to the 2012 floods,” said Sadiya Umar, the minister of humanitarian affairs, in a statement.

The submergence of farmlands has sparked fears of increased food insecurity and higher prices.

“Their farmlands are covered in the flood. This means that what was planted is swept away, and there might be food scarcity next year,” Ibeanu said.

The humanitarian affairs ministry said the federal government has committed to providing relief to all communities.

“We are taking all the necessary actions to bring relief to the people affected by the flood. All relevant agencies have renewed their commitment to strengthen their efforts in reaching out to the victims and bringing relief to them,” Sani-Gwarzo said.

On Friday, the humanitarian affairs ministry announced that the Nigerian government had begun to distribute 12,000 metric tons of food and non-food items to states devastated by the flooding.

Nigeria’s national policy document on climate change, published in 2020, states that floods have increased in recent years and that climate change is expected “to increase the frequency and intensity of severe weather events.”

“Unfortunately, many States in Nigeria largely lack the infrastructure necessary to respond adequately to such events,” the report states.

WHY IS THE FLOOD MORE DEVASTATING SINCE 2012

According to a pulse article that explains why a dam in Cameroon causes devastating floods almost yearly since 2012. The question should not be why the flood is happening, but why the floods continue to be more devastating since 2012. Here are five points the government and the citizens need to start looking into;

1.  Nigerians living in flood-prone areas are not aware that they should organize better and respond to these disasters, while all Nigerians should demand better crisis management of natural disasters.

2. States should be prevailed upon to stop allocating land in designated flood plains, maintain dredging and waste management efforts, and rethink incentives to invest more in flood mitigation efforts.

3.  The Federal Government bears a large portion of the responsibility to mitigate and respond to the national disaster with effective rules to manage such in the future.

4. Cameroon should be left out of the current conversation regarding the present flooding, as advance notice was sent regarding the pending release of the floodwaters.

5.  It’s the climate! Annual estimates by the Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency (NIHSA) of expected floods using previous data and accounting for percentages remain insufficient for the type of climate change impact event, which saw one-third of Pakistan under water this year.

Such action should be taken to help ensure that this does not happen in the future because people can’t be going through all these challenges immediately we have the so-called SOUTHERN NIGERIAN FLOOD.

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