THE DEVASTATING RAGE OF NATURE

 The authorities may do well by heeding NiMet’s predictions

Following torrential rainfall lasting several hours in Mokwa, Niger State, last Wednesday, more than 150 people have been confirmed dead by the state Emergency Management Agency (NSEMA). The disaster came against the background of a recent warning by the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) for a collective action of all tiers of government, stakeholders, and citizens. Describing floods as one of the most destructive recurring disasters in Nigeria, NEMA Director General, Zubaida Umar said their impacts have continued to wreak havoc on lives, livelihoods, and infrastructure. “Nigerians have equally suffered injuries and lost their life savings due to unmitigated incidents of floods and secondary hazards every year,” she said. But now that the rains have started, we hope that authorities in the coastal states would put preventive measures in place.

As we have repeatedly highlighted, flooding does enormous damage to the ecosystem and destroys public utilities. It also elevates the risk of hunger and malnutrition because of disruption of farmlands and commercial losses for farmers engaged in subsistence farming. But perhaps most significant is that we have lost thousands of people to flooding in the past decade while millions remain displaced. Unfortunately, not much attention is being paid to the 2025 seasonal climate prediction by the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) and the annual flood outlook by the Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency (NIHSA), both of which paint a concerning picture of rainfall patterns and potential flood scenarios.

Meanwhile, some of the causes of flooding are self-inflicted by residents of these communities who are fond of dumping refuse on waterways. We have also seen instances where people arbitrarily put up structures on flood plains and water channels without approval. This act of lawlessness obstructs the waterways and makes the areas prone to flooding. Besides the loss of lives and destruction of property, the economic consequence of flooding for the country can be dire. 

With urbanisation rate put at 5.5 per cent yearly and considered one of the highest rates in the world, the number of Nigerians at risk or vulnerable to flood hazards is likely to increase. One needs to quickly recall the devastating effect of flooding in various parts of the country in times past. Specifically, in 2012 and 2022, similar warnings were made by regulatory agencies but were not heeded by the state governments and local communities at the end of which scores of lives were lost. 

 The federal and state governments must take immediate steps to ensure that flooding does not become another disaster in the nation’s history. What has become of the ecological fund that billions of Naira are usually voted for annually? How are the funds utilised in the affected states and what are the moves being made by the state governments to take care of the riverbanks that aid flooding?  

Floods are among the most frequent and costly natural disasters in terms of human hardship and economic loss, and they have caused untold damage in the last couple of years. Therefore, we implore all the relevant authorities to prepare for the rains with great diligence. Individuals and groups living on flood plains should be evacuated or made to stay away from the potential dangers of their places of abode. The focus should be on prevention and pre-emptive intervention because little is gained when resources that should be put into developmental initiatives are dissipated in dealing with avoidable emergencies and calamities.