Iyamu: Nigeria Needs State-sponsored Evacuation, Shelter to Tackle Flood Crisis

Erizia Rubyjeana

President, Association of Environmental Protection and Climate Change Practitioners, Akugbe Iyamu, has asserted that Nigeria must urgently adopt structured, government-led evacuation and shelter systems to reduce the growing impact of flooding across the country, warning that existing responses to climate-related disasters remain fragmented and ineffective.

Speaking during an interview with Arise News Channel yesterday, Iyamu said Nigeria could no longer rely on reactive disaster responses, insisting that climate risks are already well known and predictable across affected regions while also stating that the first step required from government was direct intervention in evacuation processes.

“First of all, you must have a state-sponsored evacuation. State-sponsored shelter and remove IDP management from line items of the projects. Employ durable solutions.”

He argued that authorities already possess sufficient data identifying flood-prone communities.

“We cannot stop climate change. We cannot stop extreme weather, Now, these 33 states and 144 communities that were identified, they are not new. They have been there. We know them. Everybody knows them that this is where the flooding will go.

“lt has been there. We all know the high spots. We all know where the disaster will open. The starting point is the disaster risk analysis. This is not the time that you are going to be telling people to move. This should have been done over time. In 2024, the NEMA came up with a disaster risk analysis, everything is contained there.”

He further explained that evacuation should not be left to individuals or informal arrangements.

“You don’t leave people to their discretion, and that is what caused all the life lost and everything.Because if people move, they are going to move to their convenience. They are going to move to where their resources will take them to, They are going to move to whatever they are doing will take them to.”

According to him, Nigeria’s current approach to Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) management has become inefficient. “They don’t know any other life. They don’t know any other life. That’s why you have durable solutions. Durable solutions tell you that, relocate this IDP to their ancestral home, create a new home for them, or make them settle where they are.”

He warned that disaster response must be integrated into governance planning, not treated as annual emergency spending. “In addressing extreme weather now, we have to re-evaluate everything. We have to weigh everything against the resources that is available.”

Iyamu also stressed that relocation strategies must be temporary but structured. “In addressing extreme weather now, we have to re-evaluate everything. We have to weigh everything against the resources that is available.They believe that, look, after that, what happens next? What happens to their own lives?”

“They don’t believe in the statements again, they believe that, look, after that, what happens next?”The starting point is the disaster risk analysis.Everything is contained there. After 2024, everything went silent.”

He added that disaster response systems must include a clear exit plan for affected populations. “Durable solutions tell you that, relocate this IDP to their ancestral home, create a new home for them, or make them settle where they are.After September, we are going to take you back to your ancestral home, if that is still feasible, take you to new sites, if that becomes very, very expedient, or settle you to where you are. IDPs are not meant to stay in the camp forever.”l There are some people who have been there since 2012.”