2012 floods in perspective as rainy season intensifies

The rainy season most times comes with flood disasters in different parts of the country, leading to loss of lives and property. PAUL OKAH looks at efforts made by the federal government and critical stakeholders to tackle the menace while reminiscing on the devastating 2012 flooding.

Every rainy season in Nigeria the media is always awash with stories of destruction of lives and property by floods occurring in different parts of the country, especially in areas without proper drainage systems.

Whether in Lagos, Kogi, Ebonyi, Cross River or the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) the story is always the same as hundreds of people are often displaced from their homes and forced to seek shelter in public buildings and relying on relief materials for survival.

2022 floods

On May 13, during the presentation of the 2022 Annual Flood Outlook (AFO) by the Nigerian Hydrological Services Agency (NIHSA) in Abuja, the Minister of Water Resources, Engr. Suleiman Adamu, said high flooding would hit 233 local government areas in 32 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

Adamu said flash and urban flooding will be experienced in parts of major cities including Lagos, Kaduna, Suleja, Gombe, Yola, Makurdi, Abuja, and Lafia, Asaba, Port Harcourt, Yenagoa, Ibadan, Abeokuta, Benin City, and Birni Kebbi. Others include Sokoto, Lokoja, Maiduguri, Kano, Oshogbo, Ado Ekiti, Abakaliki, Awka, Nsukka, Calabar and Owerri.

The minister, however, gave the assurance that efforts were being made by the Ministry of Water Resources to put in place structural control measures such as dams, canals, storm drains, and other facilities to divert floodwaters from highly probable flood risk zones in the country.

He said, “The general outlook of 2022 Annual Flood Outlook (AFO), shows that 233 local government Areas in 32 States of the Federation and FCT fall within the Highly Probable flood risk Areas, while 212 local government areas in 35 states of the federation including FCT fall within the moderately probable flood risk areas. The remaining 392 local government areas fall within the probable flood risk areas.

“The highly probable flood risk states include Adamawa, Abia, Akwa Ibom, Anambra, Bauchi, Bayelsa, Benue, Cross River, Delta, and Ebonyi. Others are, Ekiti, Edo, Gombe, Imo, Jigawa, Kaduna, Kano, Kebbi, Kwara, Lagos, Nasarawa, Ogun, Ondo, Osun, Oyo, Rivers, Sokoto, Taraba, Yobe, Zamfara and FCT. Rivers, Bayelsa, Cross River, Delta, Edo, Lagos, Ogun, and Ondo States will experience coastal flooding due to tidal surge and rise in sea level,” he said.

FEMA’s warnings

Reacting to the 2022 Annual Flood Outlook by NIHSA which put Gwagwalada and Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC) on highly probable flood-risk area councils, the FCT Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) said it had put in place a number of measures to mitigate the impact of flooding, including a high level and technical assessment of all flood prone and vulnerable areas in the FCT, with a high level technical partners to identify and remove all objects obstructing the free flow of stormwater.

FEMA’s director-general, Alhaji Abbas Idriss, disclosed this in Abuja on May 13, saying the agency was intensifying efforts to convene an extended stakeholders conference of all professionals such as water and civil engineering department, architects, town planners, builders and other relevant professionals involved in town planning, design and provision of engineering infrastructure.

Idriss said further that the FCT Minister, Malam Mohammed Musa Bello, had directed that all structures obstructing the free flow of water must be removed to prevent the loss of lives and property of the residents of the FCT.

“The problem is enforcement, we have the laws. Even if it means having a mobile court to stop the violations that could lead to loss of lives and property in all towns in the FCT would be quite appropriate.

 “Since the end of last year’s rainy season, FEMA has been carrying out an impact assessment of the entire FCT and noticed some infrastructure gaps, like inadequate box culverts and other infractions especially in Lokogoma and Galadimawa districts. It therefore commends the FCDA for prompt replacement of some of the box culverts with River bridges.

Idriss appealed to residents to own up to their environment to ensure that “nobody violates the master plan by building on water ways, dumping of refuse or any activity that could hinder free flow of stormwater,” he said.

FCTA’s action plan

In order to prevent incessant flooding at Trademore Estate Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) on May 20 removed over 30 houses on flood plains.

The FCT Minister’s Task Force led by his senior special assistant on monitoring, inspection and enforcement, Ikharo Attah, while fielding questions from journalists at the site, revealed that over 100 houses were marked, but 30 houses would be removed “immediately.”

He said, “This is ongoing removal of illegal structures on the flood plain at the Trademore Estate along Airport Road. This estate has been a theatre of very intensive flooding here and we have been engaging them for years and they have come to terms that this area is very dangerous to their lives and the Minister of Federal Capital Territory, Malam Muhammad Bello, has asked us to remove all illegal structures on the flood plain. And that is what the machine behind me is doing.

 “There has been excessive development on the flood plain in Trademore Estate of some persons and this is very worrisome. All the houses that are going down were marked and some have been marked as long as three years ago, some were marked at foundation level, window level, roofing level. The final marking was about four days ago. And we gave them 48 hours and even gave them an additional 24 hours.

 “For now, 30 houses are going but over 100 were marked but we are still engaging critical stakeholders around there. After removing the first 30 houses, we will engage with them and look at how we can use land solution act to find a solution. We are not going to give any compensation because there was no building approval.”

Residents’ views 

One of the residents, Sadat Bankole, who has been living in the area for over 10 years, said if the demolition would save and prevent further loss of lives, then she is in support.

 “What has been happening here is not palatable. Why is flooding constant in this area in the last few years? My view is that if people’s lives are involved then demolition should take place so that the place would be free from flooding,” he said.

FG, stakeholders’ moves

On May 17, the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, in partnership with the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), and other stakeholders moved to tackle floods, fire outbreaks and other disasters in different parts of the country.

 Speaking in Abuja, during the technical review of the National Disaster Risk Management Policy, the minister, Hajiya Sadiya Umar Farouq, represented by the Director of Humanitarian Affairs, Alhaji Ali Grema, said the policy was critical in relation to the ministry’s programmes and interventions in tackling flood and other disasters.

 She said, “The National Disaster Risk Management Policy was developed in July 2019 by NEMA, in collaboration with the UNDP and other critical stakeholders. At the time, the new ministry was not established. Since the establishment of the ministry, we believe it is pertinent that the ministry conduct a review of existing policy to better understand the scope and coverage of the policy; new emerging issues from the field and academia, the capacity and limitations of the disaster management stakeholders.

“The Ministry has therefore conducted an internal review of the policy, has examined it through a multi-sectoral lens, such as humanitarian and social development. The review has also enabled the Ministry to assess disaster risk reduction based on the experiences and lessons it has learnt since it was created. The first in-house review focused on conceptualizing the Ministry’s mandates within the policy context, identifying gaps in the policy, and offering recommendations.”

 Also speaking, Fatima Jafar’u, a consultant with the El-Jehab Mubarak, said the policy “will address new and emerging issues in the disaster management field; and actively respond to recurrent disasters, including flooding, fire outbreaks, industrial/fuel explosions, epidemics, violence, and communal conflicts across Nigeria.”

 “NEMA has developed several plans and policies to operationalise its mandate; address new and emerging issues in the disaster management field; and actively respond to recurrent disasters including flooding, fire outbreaks, industrial/fuel explosions, epidemics, violence, and communal conflicts across Nigeria.

“The current version of the Policy sets out four priority areas: First, the need to raise awareness of disaster risk reduction by risk assessment, communication, early warning and communicating the risk to the public.  Second, it calls for the establishment of a multi-stakeholder governance structure that is supported by a legal framework; coordination structure; capacity building; financing model and the participation of locals in planning and response,” she said.