Category: Life – The Midweek Magazine

Every rainy season in Tudun Wada, Kaduna, brings more than rain—it brings fear, displacement, and loss. For over 30 years, residents have battled recurring floods that destroy homes, livelihoods, and health. As another season approaches, their demand is no longer for relief, but for a permanent solution, reports FAITH YAHAYA.

For residents of Tudun Wada in Kaduna South Local Government Area, flooding is no longer just an environmental problem; it is a yearly crisis that disrupts lives, destroys livelihoods, and forces families into a painful cycle of loss and recovery. What many communities experience as an occasional natural disaster has become an annual emergency in Tudun Wada. Each rainy season brings fear, displacement, damaged homes, closed schools and mounting health risks. When the most recent flood swept through the community, muddy water submerged houses, washed away property and pushed families into temporary shelters.

In front of Rukaya Muhammad’s home, the evidence of destruction lay scattered — broken wooden bed frames, soaked cushions and household items ruined beyond repair. Rukaya, a mother of three who was seven months pregnant when the flood struck, recalled the sense of powerlessness that overwhelmed her. “I was helpless because my children are still very small, and the neighbours who might have helped were busy trying to save their own belongings,” she said.

Dirty water filled her room, carrying debris from a nearby dumpsite into her home. Her children’s school uniforms, bags, clothes, bed, chairs and food supplies were all destroyed. Having recently given birth, Rukaya said coping with the aftermath has been physically and emotionally exhausting. Since moving to Tudun Wada eight years ago, she explained, flooding has been a constant threat. “We experience flooding every year. Our children always have rashes and fall sick. Even the water we use is not clean,” she added.

Although deeply familiar with flooding, this year’s disaster once again exposed how vulnerable the community remains, and how the problem extends far beyond Tudun Wada. Rukaya’s experience reflects a wider national crisis. Flooding has become so regular that many communities now brace for it as part of the rainy season. Despite early warnings from the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) through its annual Seasonal Climate Prediction, destruction continues across the country.

According to the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), as of October 10, 2025, flooding affected 409,714 people across 117 local government areas in 27 states. Of this number, 135,764 persons were displaced, 238 lives lost, 826 injured, 47,708 houses damaged and 62,653 farmlands destroyed. Children were the most affected, accounting for 188,118 victims, alongside 125,307 women, 77,423 men, 18,866 elderly persons and 2,418 people living with disabilities. No fewer than 115 people remain missing. In Kaduna State alone, 24,240 persons were affected across 11 local governments. Though emergency agencies evacuated Rukaya and her family to safety, returning home meant starting all over again. “When we came back from the camp, we had to clean and fix everything. The flood washed away the things I sell. Nothing is the same again,” she said.

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Even after the floodwaters receded, the danger in Tudun Wada did not end. For many families, returning home only revealed new fears and deeper losses. “This year when we returned, we killed three snakes inside my room. I am sure it was the flood that brought them,” Rukaya said. “Our mattresses are in bad shape even after drying them in the sun. They smell badly now, and we don’t have money to buy new ones.” She explained that even families who can afford new mattresses are hesitant to buy because they are certain that another flood will destroy them again. “For us, we are managing with the blankets and mosquito nets they gave us in the camp,” she added.

Living with a 30-year flood crisis

After years of recurring floods, drained savings and repeated appeals for help, many residents say they have reached a breaking point. Their demands are now direct: the dredging of the river that borders the community, and for some, relocation to a safer area entirely. For many in Tudun Wada, flooding has been a constant part of life. Nassim Suleiman, who has lived in the area for over 30 years, described the disaster as “normal” — but no longer acceptable.

His house, located near Salamatu Islamic Nursery and Primary School, is frequently submerged during the rainy season. He explained that classes are suspended almost every year because the classrooms become flooded. The dumpsites lining the riverbank, he said, worsen the problem, as refuse is swept into homes whenever the river overflows. “This has been happening for more than 30 years,” Suleiman said. “When I returned from a journey this year, I was told my family had been taken to a camp because our house and others close to the river were flooded. All we want is for the government to expand the river path. “NEMA and others really tried this year with awareness,” he added. “But the government should help us clear the dumpsites and expand the river because when the water comes back, the refuse enters our houses.”

Community women leader, Husseina Liman, said the days spent at the camp felt like relief compared to the suffering at home. She appealed for dredging as a long-term solution. “What took me to the camp was not pleasant,” she said, “but we were well taken care of there. We were given proper meals with meat and eggs. I cannot remember the last time I ate meat or eggs before then. NEMA really tried for us, but fixing the river will end this problem permanently.”

For 77-year-old Sani Ibrahim Kamakasa, the cycle of flooding is both familiar and painful. “I have lived in this community for over 70 years. Flooding is not new, but it should not continue like this,” he said. “We keep telling the authorities to dredge the river. They attempted earlier this year, but the rains had already started. If they are serious, they should use the dry season.”

Fatimatu Mustapha, who lives closest to the dumpsite, believes relocation is the only realistic solution. “My house is near the dumpsite. People still dump refuse there despite efforts to stop them. The smell is terrible, but we have no alternative,” she said. “We are ignoring the health risks because we have nowhere else to go. I am begging the government to relocate us.”

Emergency response efforts

Kaduna Red Cross official, Tijani Inuwa, said swift coordination helped prevent casualties this year. “We arrived around 4:00 a.m. with SEMA and NEMA and rescued people from their houses. About 239 households were affected and taken to Asipitin Yara camp. They stayed for four days and were fed well, while medical personnel attended to the sick,” he said. To stop the cycle of destruction, Inuwa recommended two urgent solutions: relocation and dredging. “This problem has lasted over 30 years. The people are used to it, but it should not continue like this,” he said.

NEMA’s North West Zonal Director, Sani Lokoja, said the agency is intensifying simulation exercises and advocacy to ensure communities receive timely support that reduces disaster risks. “We will continue to collaborate with relevant agencies to ensure that we mitigate and prevent disaster risks across the country. Our goal is to make communities resilient and prepared for any emergency because disasters do not give notice before they strike,” he said.

NEMA’s Director General, Zubaida Umar, explained that the agency’s preparedness this year was driven by early climate-risk planning based on predictions from the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) and the Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency (NIHSA). According to her, vulnerability maps were developed nationwide to help states identify communities most at risk. Before the onset of the rains, NEMA formally notified state governments through letters and physical visits, highlighting areas likely to experience flooding.

“These efforts were deliberately put in place to mitigate and possibly prevent the widespread impact of this year’s flooding,” Umar said.

The contrast with the previous year is striking. In 2024, flooding affected 5,264,097 persons across 35 states and 401 local government areas. Out of these, 1,243,638 people were displaced, 1,237 lives were lost, 16,469 persons sustained injuries, 116,172 houses were destroyed, and 1,439,296 farmlands were damaged. Umar attributed the significantly lower figures recorded in 2025 to the expanded national preparedness campaign, which grew from coverage in 24 states last year to all states and vulnerable communities nationwide this year.

Any hope for a permanent solution?

As the year draws to a close and another rainy season approaches, anxiety is already building in Tudun Wada. For residents who have endured more than three decades of seasonal destruction, the desire for a permanent solution has moved beyond appeals to a desperate plea for survival.

Many say the cycle of flooding has stolen too much—homes, livelihoods, peace of mind, and in some cases, their health. Residents are united in their belief that temporary relief measures are no longer enough. While emergency camps provide short-term safety during peak floods, families often return to the same damaged houses, polluted water sources, and unmanaged dumpsites that worsen each year’s disaster.

What they are demanding now is long-term intervention that addresses the root causes of the flooding. For some, dredging the river remains the most immediate and practical solution. They believe that clearing and widening the water channel would reduce overflow and prevent floodwaters from forcing their way into homes. Others argue that the community’s location—close to dumpsites and natural floodplains—makes relocation the only realistic option, especially for households closest to the riverbank.

Humanitarian workers and emergency responders who have repeatedly rescued families from rising waters share similar concerns. After years of evacuations, relief distributions, and temporary resettlements, many agree that the pattern is clear: without structural solutions, flooding will continue to destroy lives and properties. For Tudun Wada, the hope is simple but urgent—that government intervention will go beyond emergency response and focus on long-term planning. Whether through dredging, relocation, or a combination of both, residents say they are ready for a future where the rainy season no longer brings fear, displacement, and loss, but safety, stability, and normal life.