Hi there,
We hope October has been good to you so far. This month at GatePass, we are examining the causes and impacts of floods in Nigeria. We also discuss what can be done going forward, to manage and ultimately prevent these floods.
Understanding the Cause
The annual floods have been consistently occurring in Nigeria, for at least a decade now. It can be traced to the construction of the Lagdo Dam between Nigeria and Cameroon. In 1977, there was an agreement between the two countries to build two dams- Dasin Hausa Dam for Nigeria and Lagdo Dam for Cameroon. The Lagdo Dam was completed in 1982 and was aimed at providing electricity, water, and irrigation to the northern provinces of Cameroon. The flooding had already been envisioned and Nigeria was to build the Dasin Hausa Dam in Adamawa to contain the excess water from the Lagdo Dam. This was supposed to have been completed in 1982 along with the Lagdo Dam. However, the dam does not exist today and, consequently, the excess water from the dam continues to spill and submerge frontline states and communities along the rivers Niger and Benue.
Impact of the Flood
This year, floods have displaced over 2.5 million Nigerians, killed 300 and affected more than half a million. Prior to the deluge of water from the dam on the 13th of September, communities along the River Benue had already been impacted by heavy rainfall. The deluge has resulted in water levels rising up to 13 metres above the ground. The affected states include Kogi, Benue, Niger, Adamawa, Taraba, Plateau, Anambra, Delta, Bayelsa, Rivers, and Cross River. The homes and businesses of residents in these communities have been entirely submerged. Lives and livelihoods have been put on hold as businesses have closed and students have been forced to stay out of school. Videos of people wading through waist-high water or using canoes to travel around have surfaced.
Speaking with GatePass, Brayela, a student in Bayelsa, bemoaned the situation saying ‘The flood has taken over my mother’s shop, people’s businesses and farmlands. Farmers who harvested garri, yams and, plantain lost everything to the flood.’
Nigeria’s Liquified Natural Gas company (NLNG) has declared a Force Majeure, halting supply to customers due to the flood. Mr Daramola, a cooking gas distributor in Lagos, spoke with GatePass about how the flood in the country’s northern region has forced him to increase the gas price from 800 to 850 per kg. ‘Tankers have not been able to supply gas to me and so I have to manage what I currently have in my shop,’ he said.
What the Government is Doing
In the few communities where movement is not impossible, residents have resorted to canoes as a means of transport. Saiyefa, an engineer in Lokoja, implores the government to ‘open up the canals, clear the drainage and dredge the rivers to accommodate the excess water’. On the 12th of October, 2022, the federal executive council of Nigeria approved emergency flood preparedness and response plans. The immediate, short-term and long-term plans are aimed at bringing relief to the people affected by the flood. According to the permanent secretary of the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has so far distributed relief materials to over 315,000 displaced persons.
What We Can Do
Practicing environment-conscious habits like dumping our garbage in the right bins, ensuring our drainages are always cleared, and keeping the waterways unobstructed will go a long way in mitigating the impact of these floods. We can also support NGOs that are providing relief materials to victims who have been displaced or whose properties have been destroyed by the flood.
