The recent devastating flood, which wreaked havoc on Maiduguri, Borno State, led to the death of about 37 people and displaced over 400 hundred people. Most of them are now living in Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps in the state while some people, including women and children are reportedly missing. The flood was caused by the collapse of Alau Dam, located in Konduga Local Government Area of the state. The flood is adjudged to be the worst in three decades in the state.
Built in 1986, with installed capacity of 112 million cubic metres of water, the dam was constructed primarily for irrigation. But its overflow by flood water triggered unprecedented levels of humanitarian crisis. Besides loss of lives, the collapse of the dam has decimated the zoological garden in Maiduguri, causing snakes and crocodiles to invade the communities. Also, about 281 inmates are said to be missing from Borno prisons. The Director General of the State Emergency Management Agency, Mohammed Barkindo, disclosed that over 719 people had been rescued and moved to safe locations in the state.
The United Nations Refugee Agency and the Nigerian Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) had warned of a looming outbreak of cholera epidemic and malnutrition in the affected areas. Borno State is one of the North-East states adversely affected by the Boko Haram insurgency. No doubt, the flood will exacerbate the humanitarian crisis in the state. There is urgent need for more emergency food and healthcare services. About 70 per cent of the state capital is said to have been submerged by the flood. The worst affected areas by the flood include the Shehu of Borno Palace, State Secretariat, Post Office, Monday Market, Customs, Gwenge, State Lowcost and the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital.
Though the Borno flood exceeded the seasonal rain prediction for 2024, it is a warning to other flood-prone states to put measures in place to mitigate the effects of flooding. The Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMET) had warned that about 29 states would experience severe flooding this year. The weather agency also called for necessary proactive measures by the states to minimise the impact of the flood. According to NEMA, floods have so far claimed 229 lives, with 386,239 people displaced and 94,492 houses destroyed in various parts of the country, most of them in the northern states.
Also, about 125,805 hectares of farmlands had been washed away. Beyond the Maiduguri flood, Bauchi and Bayelsa states had experienced severe flooding recently with devastating impacts. It is commendable that the federal government has approved N108 billion to the 36 states to mitigate the effects of flooding this year. Each state will get N3billion to combat the effects of flooding. The overflow of Alau dam in Borno State is reminiscent of similar disaster in 1994 that killed many people and sacked millions of residents in Kebbi, Katsina, Kaduna and Jigawa states in the North-West region, and Kwara and Plateau states in the North-Central geopolitical zone.
This is the best time to come up with strategies to contain the perennial flood now there is a warning that the Lagdo dam in Cameroon may overflow in the coming weeks or months. It is instructive for the authorities in states like Akwa Ibom, Benue, Anambra and Kogi to evolve measures to mitigate the effects of flooding. Altogether, this calls for immediate action in tackling the factors responsible for the perennial flooding. There is need to construct more dams where the flood water can be channeled.
As an agricultural country, Nigeria needs more dams to cater for all seasons farming through irrigation. It has therefore become imperative for the federal and state governments to take the safety of dams seriously to avert future disasters. In fact, dams require periodic checks and maintenance to avoid sudden collapse as was the case with the Alau dam in Borno State. The neglect of the dam and its poor maintenance for years contributed to its collapse.
This calls for regular integrity tests for all dams across the country. They also need de-silting. We urge the 36 states to use the N3billion approved for each of them by the federal government to combat flooding and peculiar ecological disaster in their domains. The fund should be judiciously used by the states. The perennial flooding must be jointly tackled by the federal and state governments. The Borno flood disaster has underscored the increasing threat posed by climate change. The government should provide adequate relief materials to the victims. Let there be early warning alert system and a comprehensive roadmap to address the challenges of flooding in the affected states.