By: Joshua Fagbemi
A 9-hour non-stop heavy rainfall in Lagos on Wednesday, July 3, caused devastating floods in various parts of the state including Sururele, Lekki, Ijesha, Isolo, Ikoyi, Okokomaiko, Ikeja, Oshodi, Ajah, and Greenland Estate, among others.
The floods submerged houses and swept away businesses worth millions. Many residents of Lagos had to abandon their houses and seek refuge in religious houses, in the streets, or with relatives. In the Jakande Estate area of the Eti-Osa Local Government Area of Lagos alone, about 2,000 residents were displaced from their homes by floods between May and June 2024, according to the National Emergency Management Agency.
Although Lagos is the most vulnerable state to flooding, other states that have experienced floods as a result of heavy rainfalls include Benue, Cross River, Kogi, Akwa Ibom, Anambra and the Niger Delta region.
Experts blame the recurrent flooding, which continues to claim lives and livelihoods across the country, on factors such as severe climate conditions, poor environmental planning, topography, poor housing development, especially in flood-prone areas, high rate of deforestation, inadequate waste disposal practices, poor drainage system, and overpopulation.
A report by the Internal Displacement Monitoring Center shows that out of 5.4 million internal displacements recorded in Nigeria between 2008 and 2023, 3.7 million were displaced as a result of disasters such as floods, storms, and wave actions. Flood disasters, in the same report, account for the highest displacements with 3.6 million citizens displaced, distantly followed by 38,000 and 2,100 displaced by storm and wave actions respectively. This shows that out of a total of 5.4 million internal displacements in Nigeria over the past six years, about 3.6 million (67%) were as a result of flooding.
A report by Visual revealed that Nigeria (18%) is placed 10th in the Africa Flood Risk Countries with Egypt (41%) placed first in Africa and 4th worldwide. Statista likewise revealed that in 2023, flooding (164) accounted for the highest number of disasters worldwide with storms (139) and earthquakes (32) coming second and third respectively. This further shows that flood as a natural disaster is a high-risk factor that has rendered many people homeless and in other regions, hopeless.
Flooding has been described as the most dangerous and reoccurring disaster in Nigeria resulting in many internal displacements and a rise in internally displaced people (IDPs). In 2022, floods claimed the lives of 662 citizens with 2.43 million displaced and 3,194 injured nationwide and an estimated loss of assets worth $9.12 billion, as recorded by the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) This was the most devastating flooding since 2012 where 3.9 million people were displaced by floods. The majority of the floods recorded in the year 2022 occurred between June 1 and November 30, 2022, due to heavy rainfall coupled with the release of water from the Lagdo Dam in Cameroon overflowing across the South-South states of the country.
During these periods, UNICEF reported that over 800,000 children were directly displaced. In Bayelsa, there was closure of IDP (Internally Displaced Persons) Camps by the government due to flooding in surrounding communities. In Borno, flooding likewise destroyed 6 camps housing about 16,000 IDPs resulting in accommodation shifts in severe conditions. In Benue, large flooding across 12 LGA saw 3,000 people displaced in 650 households thereby temporarily settling in IDP Camps. Also, In Kogi, flood waters caused severe damage to infrastructures like hospitals, bridges, schools, and residential buildings causing displacement and sudden relocation.
In 2023, the country recorded flood crisis cases leading to 45 deaths and 171,545 displaced persons across 13 flood-prone states. Also in the same year, 22,666 homes were partially damaged with 5,358 homes destroyed causing another loss of assets worth $ 4.6 billion. These floods buttress claims made by the former Minister of Water Resources, Suleiman Hussaini Adamu, in May 2022 when he declared 32 states as highly probable flood risk states which were Adamawa, Abia, Akwa Ibom, Anambra, Bauchi, Bayelsa, Benue, Cross-River, Delta, Ebonyi, Ekiti, Edo, Gombe, Imo, Jigawa, Kaduna, Kano, Kebbi, Kogi and Kwara. Others were Lagos, Nasarawa, Niger, Ogun, Ondo, Osun, Oyo, Rivers, Sokoto, Taraba, Yobe, Zamfara and FCT.
Data shared by the Executives Director of Africa Policy and Research Institute (APRI), Dr. Olumide Abimbola, shows that there have been a total of 3.6 million displacements, loss of 1,254 lives despite over $31 billion spent by the Nigeria government for the control of flood between 2012 and 2018. A Presidential Flood Committee set up by the Muhammadu Buhari administration reported.
More Nigerians Face Risk of Displacement
Recent floods across the country show that Nigeria and Nigerians face the risk of more displacements in 2024. Two Casualties were recorded after heavy rainfall in a gold mine located in Minna City, Niger State. Many have already been displaced from their homes in Lagos after days of heavy rainfalls since June 14. Other states are not spared.
The Minister of Water Resources and Sanitation, Professor Joseph Terlumun Utsev, when revealing the 2024 annual flood outlook declared 31 states and 148 Local Government Areas across the federation at high risk of floods in April 2024.
The states are Adamawa, Akwa Ibom, Anambra, Bauchi, Bayelsa, Benue, Borno, Cross-River, Delta, Ebonyi, Edo, Imo, Jigawa, Kaduna, Kano, Kebbi, Kogi, Kwara, Lagos, Nasarawa, Niger, Ogun, Ondo, Osun, Oyo, Plateau, Rivers, Sokoto, Taraba and Yobe. Of the 148 LGA, 72 are to experience high rainfall leading to flood in April, May, and June, another 135 LGA in July, August, and September while the last 44 LGA in October and November, according to the report of the Ministry.
Recognizing the severity of the flood disaster is the consideration of the threat of a possible increase in Cholera outbreaks that looms. The NCDC (Nigeria Centre for Disease Control) on Wednesday, July 3 warned that high-risk flood states are also prone to recording an increase in the Cholera Outbreak if proper measures are not in place. The casualties of this year’s Cholera Outbreak as of July 3 have been estimated at 63 deaths and about 2,102 suspected cases across 33 states with Bayelsa holding 50% of all suspected cases.
In the wake of the flood disaster which has created a series of havoc such as loss of lives and livelihood, restriction in access to basic amenities, displacement of families, inability to access quality education by children, exposure to several damages, and health challenges like malnutrition and risk of waterborne diseases like cholera, there seems to be a war at hand against flooding. With more flood cases imminent, more Nigerians are very likely to suffer adverse effects from the resulting looming havoc.
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