Ekeomah Atuonwu
Over 300 people have died in Nigeria’s worst floods in a decade in 2022, including at least 20 this week, according to the authorities, who claim that they have no control over the situation.
According to the National Emergency Management Agency of Nigeria, 500,000 people have been impacted by the floods in 27 of the 36 states and the capital city of Nigeria. 100,000 people have been forced to flee their homes, and more than 500 people have been injured.
The Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency (NIHSA) put out a warning earlier this year, that Adamawa, Abia, Akwa-Ibom, Anambra, Bauchi, Bayelsa, Benue, CrossRiver, Delta, Ebonyi, Ekiti, Edo, Gombe, Imo, Jigawa and Kaduna, Kano, Kebbi, Kogi, Kwara, Lagos, Nasarawa, Niger, Ogun, Ondo, Osun, Oyo, Rivers, Sokoto, Taraba, and Yobe, as well as Zamfara and FCT, were at risk of flooding.
NIHSA stated in September 2022 that the Lagdo Dam in Cameroon has started releasing extra water from the reservoir. This water will cascade into Nigeria through the River Benue and have an impact on communities in Benue, Kogi, Nasarawa, Kebbi, Niger, Taraba, and Adamawa.
The impact of the flooding in Nigeria includes:
Traveling
A warning has been issued to commuters using the Abuja-Lokoja route because flooding has completely affected numerous settlements and major thoroughfares. The flooding in a number of Kogi State localities has made travel difficult.
Some commuters have encountered flooded areas while traveling specific routes, forcing them to find alternate routes to complete their journey or get back to where they started. Due to flooding on the Lokoja Kotonkarfe and Kogi roads in September, acting corps marshal Dauda Biu of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) issued a warning to drivers and passengers.
He said; “The FRSC wishes to inform the motoring public, particularly those traveling through Lokoja- Kotonkarfe to the South East and Southwest to be cautious of the flood. Those also going to and from the North should exercise extra caution on that route due to the overflow of the confluence state river, which has at the moment taken part of the major expressway.
“From the report received about the flood, there are two flash points where the flood is critical. Kabawa road linking Natacojunction in Lokoja-to-Lokoja town as well as Ganaja village which links Lokoja town to Ajaokuta road.”
Transport companies, independent commercial drivers, and logistics companies are losing revenues daily, as long as the flooding continues to affect interstate travel.
Farming/fishing
According to Relief Web, flooding across the state borders of Kogi, Benue, and Nasarawa has severely damaged many agricultural areas. Communities of farmers have lost every harvest they had during the growing season.
Additionally, livestock owners have suffered losses as a result of trying to flee the floods with their own herd. 286,000 people have been displaced by floods in Anambra state’s Ogbaru local government area, according to NEMA. The majority of these people are farmers who have lost their farms. Floods have destroyed everything in Kogi communities, making it impossible for fishermen to catch and support their families.
Schooling
Mr. S. Ibrahim, a resident of Jigawa State, informed newsmen that in the flood-affected areas of Jigawa State, education is no longer a top concern. Families want to live first, in his opinion. “Homes, schools, and places of business are overflowing, and nobody is considering going to school. The kids must eat and stay protected, he argues. The same reasoning holds true for other states where flooding has disrupted daily life.
Up to six local government units in Anambra state have experienced flooding. Churches, police stations, homes, farms, and schools have all been inundated. According to NEMA, one death has so far been reported.
Healthcare
Additionally included in the vital infrastructure that has been damaged by flooding in various flood-affected locations are hospitals. Children are at greater risk of infections that could go untreated while they are at internally displaced persons (IDP) camps until assistance agencies arrive because they lack access to hospitals in various locations.
Babies born to pregnant mothers whose homes are under water run the danger of contracting cholera and other illnesses if they are born in IDP camps or temporary shelters. Jigawa State flood victims who had migrated to IDP camps in September 2022 grumbled about not receiving relief supplies and medical attention. The victims felt abandoned because everything was going on while their governor was vacationing abroad.
The Federal Government has approved a National flood emergency preparedness and response plan in Nigeria
This plan the government says is for more resilience and effective response measures to mitigate the impact of flooding on Nigerians.