Flooding is an age-long, universal problem enshrined in naturalism and anthropomorphism. This menace is an intricate network of a range of social and physical geographies. It involves widespread devastation or environmental degradation, often leading to utter misery of settlers of the affected region or locality. But despite this, flooding which currently cannot be neatly disentangled from the monstrosity of climate change and heavy rains, is substantially tame-able by advanced human intellect, explainable against the backdrop of modern science and technology. There is a sharp rise in ocean levels this year as larger rivers and the tributaries overflow their banks, due largely to the melting of snow in the northern hemisphere. Today, floods (unwanted visitors), are tormenting several parts of the world including Nigeria and Chad.
It is on record, that at least 27 states in Nigeria are now seriously flooded. Over 600 people have lost their lives while an estimated 1.5 million citizens are homeless. This situation has led to a monumental humanitarian crisis. The number of casualties continues to go up daily. Many houses, farms, and livestock have been washed away. This has ugly implications for food security, peace, and economic development of the country.
It is most disturbing, that the federal government has not been able to construct a shock-absorber (dam) to cushion the effects of the release of excess water from the northern region of Cameroon. This was contrary to the agreement said to have been reached between Nigeria and Cameroon in the late 1970s. Cameroon completed its own dam in 1982. It was called the Lagdo Dam. But Nigeria despite its huge human and natural resources is unable to complete up to now, the Dasin-Hausa Dam in the Fufore Local Government Area of Adamawa State. The Dasin-Hausa Dam was supposed to be at least twice the size of the one in northern Cameroon.
Consequently, released excess water from the Cameroonian dam quickly finds its way into River Benue and its tributaries especially River Katsina-Ala. The huge volume of water is emptied into the Niger-Benue confluence in the Lokoja locality of Kogi State. It then begins to cause havoc on human lives, settlements (houses, graves, shrines, and groves), and farms among others along the mega river network. This huge volume of water continues to flow dangerously down to the Niger Delta region, so as to deposit its load of disaster into the Atlantic Ocean basin.
Not surprisingly, we are now experiencing the most devastating flooding in the last 10 years or thereabouts. Thus, for example, eight local government areas of Anambra State are now under water. This has worsened the problem of gully erosion bedevilling this part of the country. In Bayelsa State, the floods were so utterly ruthless that they damaged the “houses” (graves) of some of the dead. The “ill-mannered” floods also forced willy-nilly former President Goodluck Jonathan to an internally displaced camp, after capturing most parts of Yenagoa. If anyone’s to blame, it’s the government for a gross lack of proactive measures. Nigeria needs to begin to improve on its water management philosophies instead of taking short-term palliative measures. This year’s flooding is a humanitarian catastrophe of monumental dimensions. It is a national emergency beyond the capacity of the state government. But this does not mean that the ecological funds being allocated to the various state governments should be swallowed up by all kinds of pythons and crocodiles in our midst.
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There is need to dredge some of the major river beds in the country. Rivers Niger and Benue occupy centre stage in this connection. But will unfettered corruption allow us to do this successfully? It is a pity, that corruption is killing Nigeria slowly. Even the academia (the supposed model for robust human society) is not an exception. Certainly, properly dredged river basins will improve inland water transportation round the year. Similarly, more buffer dams are needed in some of the strategic places. In addition, embankments must be constructed as a flood control mechanism. Dams can also enable us to have more irrigated land for agricultural purposes round the year. This is in addition to the generation of electric power needed to boost local industries, and by extension, the Nigerian economy. Nigeria does not need to depend solely on rain-fed systems for food production.
The government should ensure that such physical structures as school buildings, mosques, and churches are not constructed within the floodplains. Some afforestation projects are critical to the mitigation of floods. Bridges must be elevated. Pollution of water bodies can lead to an outbreak of diseases, thereby causing a devastating blow on the public health. Poor public health is an anathema to robust economic productions.
Destruction of roads, bridges, and farms in the affected 27 states especially Bayelsa and Anambra will lead to more food shortages and aggravated material poverty in the country. The already high food prices will further go up. Indeed, much more Nigerians are going to face unprecedented starvation as from December due to the effects of flooding. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) had recently warned Nigeria about the impending food shortages and severe insecurity. Indeed, flooding is a form of war which ontologically dehumanises.
It seems to me, that the government is overwhelmed by the enormity of the challenges facing the country. Things are falling apart although the political leadership continues to brazen it out, to the chagrin of the saner world. This situation can be transformed, in the face of unparalleled patriotism including zero tolerance for economic/financial infractions at all levels. Without mincing words, Nigeria can become a super power, if only its potentialities are not underestimated and wasted on the altar of mediocre, self-serving rulership.
Therefore, the next political leadership has to learn to prioritise the needs of the country. If truth be told, prioritisation is up to now, an unpopular concept in the vocabularies of Nigerian politics. This attitude must stop in order to begin to experience sustainable development. It is dangerous to continue to deceive ourselves. We need a group of superb social engineers and managers of human and material resources, to take the country out of the woods. The next political leaders should know that there are many serious national problems to be practically addressed on getting to the Aso Rock Villa. Similarly, there should be no room for smelly lamentation and empty promises as if all Nigerians are morons. Good leadership is a combination of pains and gains. There should be no space for posturing. Nigerians do not need their egos. Indeed, Aso Rock Villa is neither for a regular tea party nor a lively Abuja rendezvous for people with a lamentable lack of understanding of the essence of leadership. Nigerians are tired of such people who are capable of further polluting our collective heritage space. The citizens are groaning and staggering under the heavy weight of unprecedented cluelessness and by the same token, retrogressive change. This existential reality underlines the reason why the emergence of a messianic leadership as from 2023, is a task that must be accomplished at all costs.
•Prof Ogundele is of Dept. of Archaeology and Anthropology, University of Ibadan.