Weighing Nigeria’s Preparedness for Flood Hazards
Emergency preparedness at all levels is the cornerstone of effective response to the increasing trends of global disasters. In this report, Ugo Aliogo examines recent flooding in Nigeria and government’s response
This year’s flooding has, no doubt, caused a lot of havoc, destroying property, displacing people and even claiming lives.
While some Nigerians belief the government was proactive in its response to address the situation, others differed, saying enough measures were not put in place to foreclose the huge damage the flooding caused.
According to a report by the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) there are 327,052 people presently affected in the flooded States.
NEMA in the report, noted that 12 States and 50 Local Government Areas were actually earmarked as frontline States to be affected by flood. On September 17, a national disaster warning was declared in the worst four affected States: Anambra, Delta, Kogi and Niger.
However, the federal government, through NEMA and the Nigeria Hydrological Service Agency (NIHSA) had earlier issued a red alert, which revealed that riparian states and communities by the bank of River Niger and Benue may be flooded due to a daily rise in the water level of both Rivers.
At the emergency meeting of stakeholders on flood preparedness and response in Abuja recently, the Director, Engineering Hydrology, NIHSA, Mr. Clement Eze, had stated that likely states to be affected were Kebbi, Niger, Kwara, Edo, Kogi, Anambra, Rivers, Bayelsa and Delta from the River Niger axis, and Taraba, Benue and Adamawa from the River Benue axis.
Eze, had warned that the flood was lurking because all the indices that manifested before the 2012 flooding had actually showed, hence the need to issue the alert.
He explained that the height of River Niger in Lokoja is at 10.01 meters as against the 9.74 in 2012 and it has been rising every hour due to the opening of the dams.
According to him, “Shiroro Dam had joined Kainji and Jebba dams in spilling water and this has contributed to the steady rise in the water level.
“As at today, our hydrological measuring station downstream the confluence in Lokoja recorded a stage height of 10.1m and a discharge value of 21, 326 cubic metres / second, as against lower values of 9. 74m and 19,762 cubic metres / second, which was recorded on the corresponding date of 2012 when the flood occurred.
“From the foregoing, it could be said that all the indices that caused the 2012 river flooding have manifested, except spillage of water from the Lagdo Dam.
“It would be noted that it was on September 29, 2012 that the maximum flood level of 12 .840 m and the corresponding discharge of 31, 692 cubic metres/ second were recorded at our station in Lokoja, downstream of the confluence, in 2012.
By the 2018 seasonal rainfall prediction released earlier in the year, according to him, September 28 is the earliest cessation date of rainfall in Sokoto and Katsina, while December is the earliest cessation date for the southern coastal cities.
“The implication of this is that the northern part of the country should be expecting more rains in the next three weeks,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Director General, NEMA, Mustapha Maihaja, said the need for the emergency meeting was to review the present situation and access the preparedness of all stakeholders.
He said that the stakeholders would raise five different committees that would go on a fact-finding and sensitisation tour of these states, in order to prepare the communities for any event of flooding, immediately.
NIHSA Report
According to the NIHSA report, it was noted that as for the riparian States and Communities by the banks of Rivers Niger and Benue and their floodplains, there has been a systematic, daily rise in the water levels on both rivers.
It also stated that records from the measuring stations in Lokoja (River Niger) and Makurdi (River Benue) clearly revealed drift. However, NIHSA stated that the situation called for watchfulness on the part of the riparian states as there is still the likelihood of occurrence of much River flooding.
The report further explained that Kainji, Jebba and Shiroro Dams have been spilling water which has contributed to the steady rise in the water level.
NIHSA, in the report, said as at September 17, the country’s hydrological measuring station, downstream the confluence in Lokoja, recorded a stage height of 11.05m, as against a lower value of 10.29m recorded on the corresponding date of September 17.
The report also noted that the flood level of 11.05m is just 1.79m below the highest flood level of 12.84m recorded on September 29, 2012 when the country was devastated by flood.
The report further explained that during the emergency stakeholders’ meeting summoned by NEMA on September 15, this year, the stakeholders were informed that Malanville town in Benin Republic had been flooded.
“This means that the flooding incident that took place in Malanville in Benin Republic would flow down to Nigeria through Kebbi state.”
According to the report, “Based on this, both Kainji and Jebba Dams will continue to spill water downstream.
From the foregoing, it could be said that all the indices that caused the 2012 river flooding have manifested, except spillage of water from the Lagdo Dam.
By NiMet’s 2018 Seasonal Rainfall Prediction (SRP) released earlier in the year, 28th Sept is the earliest cessation date of rainfall in Sokoto and Katsina, while December is the earliest cessation date for the southern coastal cities.
“The implication of this is that the northern part of the country should be expecting more rains in the next two weeks. High flows are still coming in from the upper catchment of the Niger Basin, namely: Guinea, Mali, Niger, Benin, Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, Cameroon and Chad.
“The River Benue is equally rising, though the level of water as at today has not attained the level witnessed at this time in 2012. This rise in water level of River Benue should not be attributed to any release of water from the Lagdo Dam in Cameroon.
“There is a subsisting Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Nigeria and Cameroon with regards to the water resources development within the River Benue valley, especially with regards to release of water from the Lagdo Dam.
“Under the MoU, Cameroon is bound to notify Nigeria ahead of time in the event that the Dam must be opened.
In a telephone conversion of September 15, initiated by a Cameroonian official, Mr. Abdoulaye Serno, the official confirmed to NIHSA that impoundment of water is still taking place at the Lagdo Dam reservoir.
He went further to state that rainfall was still expected within the catchment of the Lagdo Dam up to early October.
“It should be noted that there are many active rivers downstream the Lagdo Dam which contribute heavy inflows into River Benue, namely: Faro, Mayo Kebbi, Taraba, Gongola, Katsina-Ala, Donga, and Dep. Heavy contributions from these rivers into River Benue leading to flooding of the Benue valley are often mistaken for release of water from the Lagdo Dam.
“The localised urban flooding incidents being witnessed in some cities and communities in the country are expected to continue due to high rainfall intensity of longer duration, rainstorms, blockage of drainage systems and poor urban planning, as well as coastal flooding resulting from sea rise and storm surges.
“States and local government areas should endeavour to remove structures built within the floodplains, clear blocked drainages, culverts and other waterways.
“In the light of the above, the following states that are contiguous to Rivers Niger and Benue should step up their efforts in evacuation of persons from communities already affected by River Flooding: Kebbi, Niger, Kwara, Kogi, Edo, Anambra, Rivers, Delta, Bayelsa, Adamawa, Taraba, Benue and Nasarawa.”
Expert Opinion
The actions of the government in addressing the flooding has been described as commendable when compared with 2012, noted the founder of Lufasi Nature Park, Mr. Desmond Majekodunmi.
He also said that there were a lot of advanced warnings which he noted were impressive.
He added that even NEMA had been quite proactive in terms of looking for budget and reaching out to the various areas that people needed to be reached out to.
Majekodunmi, further commended the federal government for being more proactive in its measures, noting that the situation would have been worse, noting that climate change, this time round, is real.
He observed that there is more heat on water and more evaporation; therefore, there would be more evaporation and heavier rain.
Majekodunmi, said the present situation is due to the climate change induced rainfall which is getting way ahead of the government systems to cope with it.
According to him, “We need to project the possibility of the kind of rainfall we have, which will bring the sought of flooding that we could experience, which we are not doing yet. We are not alone; many countries in the world are facing the same problem.
“They are partially nature-driven consequences but because of our terrible neglect and abuse on nature, the rains are now reacting to ‘mankind’s acts of terrorism against nature’. Part of that reaction is global warming, which is mainly causing the climate change. Man has been the one that has caused this global warming.
“The second thing we have done is massive deforestation. Nigeria only has two percent of her forest cover left.
“This has made the global warming worse because the forest is the one that will sequester the carbon dioxide. Also, it has made the floor worse because the forest and the banks of the rivers prevent erosion into the river bed.
“So, the river beds are not higher, and they are less capable of containing the extra water that is coming into them. As for the release of the water from the Dams, when the dams get too high, the water has to be released.
“The whole issue about the big dams needs to be revisited, but it is a bit late because we are already there. Scientists have noted that big massive dams are not the best way to go, even for hydro-power.
“Ecology funds should be put into use in helping people redeploy and resettle. On our part, we need to have a fundamental change in our mind and understand that we are a part of nature. We need to protect the environment.
“We also need to engage in massive reforestation. Billions of trees have to be replanted and the forest has to be protected in a scientific way, in partnership with the communities.
“The other thing is for us to focus on Renewable, because burning petroleum is poisonous. Therefore, all our energy sources have to be converted to renewable; so, it is a big challenge.”