Combating Nigeria’s Perennial Floods -By Jide Ojo

A war foretold does not kill a wise cripple” – African proverb.

Science and technology has helped with innovations. They have combined to assist us understand our environment and how to explore it for better living. In times past, flooding is attributed to the anger of the river goddess. I recall an incident in Lagos many years ago where an ocean surge flooded Victoria Island and some traditionalists explained that the Glass House Headquarters of a Merchant Bank overlooking the Atlantic Ocean was the cause and that the Mammy Water has to be appeased. Stranger than fiction?

Breakthrough in science and technology has been able to explain many of the past world mysteries. We now know the contribution of industrial pollution and hydrocarbon emission to ozone layer depletion, Greenhouse effect and ultimately climate change. Today, world leaders are meeting annually to address climate change and its deleterious effects through United Nations Climate Change conferences. Science and technology has also assisted us to be able to predict seasonal rainfall and likely flooding in different parts of the country. Science and technology have also made it possible to have safer flights because of accurate weather predictions. Not only that, weather predictions have saved many lives as many media houses now air daily weather forecasts thereby guiding people on what to expect in terms of weather conditions for the day.

According to the information gleaned from its website, the Nigerian Meteorological Agency came into existence by an Act of the National Assembly – NIMET (Establishment) ACT 2003, enacted on May 21, 2003, and became effective on 19th June 2003 following Presidential assent. It is a Federal Government agency charged with the responsibility to advise the Federal Government on all aspects of meteorology; project, prepare and interpret government policy in the field of meteorology; and to issue weather (and climate) forecasts for the safe operations of aircrafts, ocean going vessels and oil rigs. The act also makes it the responsibility of the agency to observe, collate, collect, process and disseminate all meteorological data and information within and outside; coordinate research activities among staff, and publish scientific papers in the various branches of meteorology in support of sustainable socio-economic activities in Nigeria.

On January 24, the 2023 Seasonal Rainfall Prediction was released by NiMET. The agency warned Nigerians to prepare for earlier than normal onset of rainfall in most parts of the country. The prediction shows that the earliest onset will likely occur on or around March 2 in the coastal zone of the South-South states of Bayelsa, Rivers and Akwa Ibom, while onset of rainfall in the inland cities of the South will likely be in April. Onset of rainfall in the central states is likely to be in May. NiMET’s Director General, Prof. Mansur Matazu, while speaking at the SRP presentation in Abuja said peak rainfall would be between July and September, noting that due to high soil moisture, there would be flash floods in cities, while people living in flood-prone areas would experience riverine flood.

Asked if there might be floods, as witnessed in 2022, the director-general said, “With increase in climate change activities, there will be more floods. Climate change is due to increasing temperature and increased temperature means the atmosphere will be pregnant and contain more water in the form of vapour. This means more rain and the rain will come in high intensity within a short duration. This gives more volume of water within a limited time. This is what triggers floods after rainfall in cities and riverine areas, especially during July – September.”

“None so deaf as those who will not hear” is an African adage. The weatherman has made his prediction; are we listening? It doesn’t seem so. Many of us are still in the habit of building to block waterways and dumping refuse in drainages. Many of the water channelisation projects embarked upon by federal and state governments have remained uncompleted. We forget the popular saying that water will always find its level.

On Friday, June 23, 2023, Trademore Estate located in the Lugbe axis of Abuja was flooded after a downpour. Several houses, vehicles, shops and other property were damaged by the flood. A corpse was also recovered after the deluge. This has been a perennial occurrence in that area. Now the Federal Capital Development Authority is threatening to demolish the estate while the residents are pushing back, saying that would not bring a lasting solution to the flooding in the area. There have been several other similar reports of flooding across the country. In 2022, most part of Bayelsa State was submerged in water to the extent that the roads were impassable for several days until the flood subsided.

The flood in Bayelsa caught the attention of the Cable News Network popularly known as CNN that in its October 26, 2022 online edition it said “Nigeria’s southern Bayelsa state is officially nicknamed the ‘glory of all lands.’ But much of it is now a river that has driven entire communities away from their homes. Desperate to survive, many locals fleeing raging floods which have wreaked their homes and livelihoods are also forced to depend on floodwater for sustenance. For displaced inhabitants of northern Bayelsa’s Odi town, who have found new homes in roadside shacks and tent shelters with no access to running water, stagnant floodwaters are the only available alternatives for drinking, cooking and bathing.” The question now is how prepared is Bayelsa State for the expected flooding in 2023? Are there any lessons learnt from the 2022 disaster?

Flooding brings in its wake destruction of lives and property. It’s also a harbinger of water-borne diseases such as cholera, diarrhoea, dysentery, and the like. This is because it will be difficult to source clean and safe water when there is flooding. NiMET has done its own bit by alerting us to possibility of flooding in many towns and cities in 2023. It is now for us as citizens and government to do the needful by taking preventive measures. We should anticipate the release of excess water from the Lagdo Dam in the Republic of Cameroon and its after effects on Nigerian communities. The National Emergency Management Agency and its state counterparts – State Emergency Management Agencies should get ready to prevent and tackle possible flood in 2023. People who are living in riverbanks need to be relocated to safer grounds. Internally Displaced Persons camps must be secured and well-resourced to accommodate likely victims of this year’s flood. Citizens should clear their drainages of debris and stop pouring their solid waste in water channels. A stitch in time saves nine!

Twitter: @jideojong