When it comes to flooding, the worst is yet to come. In 2022, federal authorities recorded 662 deaths as a result of severe flooding, and the toll may rise this year. The 2023 forecast from the Nigeria Meteorological Agency (NiMET) predicts an early onset of rainfall accompanied by flooding, creating a race against time for governments at all levels to avoid a repeat of the 2022 calamity. With climate change increasingly affecting weather patterns, strategic measures must be implemented to guarantee citizens’ safety, and Nigerians must adopt environmentally friendly habits to protect their own lives.
NiMET warned in January that, starting in March, coastal areas in the South‑South—particularly Bayelsa, Rivers, and Akwa Ibom—will experience heavy downpours. Southern inland cities are expected to see precipitation in April, while central states will receive rain in May. The agency also projected extended rainfall in Gombe, Kaduna, Kwara, Enugu, Anambra, Ogun, and Lagos states. Between June and July, the northern states of Sokoto, Kebbi, Zamfara, Kano, Katsina, Jigawa, Yobe, and Borno will see the beginning of rain, which will peak from July to September. State governments must respond proactively to these forecasts.
The 2022 floods provide a stark warning: no fewer than 33 states were affected, thousands of houses and hectares of farmland were washed away, and property losses were estimated at billions of naira. The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) reported that over two million Nigerians were displaced, and the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Sadiq Farouq, placed the economic damage at N4.2 trillion. In comparison, the 2012 floods—when more than 363 people died and 2.1 million were displaced—cost the economy N2.6 trillion. Such losses are difficult to recover but can be mitigated through adequate preparation.
Corruption remains a major obstacle to effective disaster response. Over three years, the federal government allocated N1 trillion for ecological and disaster management, yet the National Assembly is still probing the whereabouts of those funds. After the 2012 floods, former President Goodluck Jonathan granted N17.6 billion for relief and infrastructure repair, but within a year the then Secretary to the Taraba State Government, Emmanuel Njiwah, five commissioners, and two special advisers were dismissed for mismanaging the N400 million state grant. Large portions of allocated funds for many affected states remain unaccounted for. Public officials who embezzle money meant for public good should face capital offences, especially when their actions lead to mass deaths and losses.
Nigeria must shift resources from reactive relief to proactive mitigation. The Federal Government Committee for the Development of a Comprehensive Plan of Action for the Prevention of Flood Disasters in Nigeria, established in November 2022, should now have completed its 90‑day mandate. Its recommendations must be made public and implemented promptly to justify the expenditure of public funds. Moreover, the 2012 floods were exacerbated by the release of water from Cameroon’s Lagdo Dam without a corresponding reservoir in Nigeria. The Dasin Hausa Dam in Adamawa State should be completed to buffer these inflows, and neglected or ageing dams across the country require urgent repair.
While NiMET and NEMA have been commendable in raising awareness, state governments must translate this information into action. Urgent steps include constructing adequate drainage channels and canals, clearing existing ones, and enforcing strict town‑planning policies that prevent construction on floodplains and drains. Awarding road contracts without proper drainage provisions is a recipe for disaster, and politically exposed persons who influence unsafe building practices must be stopped. States should follow NEMA Director‑General Mustapha Ahmed’s advice to empower state emergency management agencies for operational readiness.
Individuals also bear responsibility for their safety. Residents of coastal areas and low‑lying lands should consider relocation to avoid impending floods. Civil societies, rights campaigners, and NGOs must support local awareness initiatives, ensuring that messages reach communities and significantly reduce loss of life and property. Nigerians must cease the hazardous practice of clogging drains with waste, a major contributor to flooding.
Globally, climate change is intensifying extreme weather events. Last year, catastrophic floods killed over 1,000 people in Pakistan and affected more than 30 million; South Korea experienced its heaviest rains in a century; torrential rains in Uganda destroyed thousands of homes and claimed at least 30 lives. According to the United Nations Environment Programme, flood‑related catastrophes have increased by 134 percent since 2000. Nigeria cannot afford to be caught napping again.
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