The Federal Government is accelerating the upgrade of the Alau Dam in Borno State, with Minister of Water Resources and Sanitation, Engr. Prof. Joseph Terlumun Utsev, declaring the project a national priority to permanently end flooding, secure clean water supply, and boost agricultural productivity in the region.
Speaking during an inspection visit to the dam site in Maiduguri on 7th August 2025, Prof. Utsev said the project, which commenced in March 2025, is on track to meet its targets. He revealed that the first phase focused on flood control will be completed by September 2025, while the second phase, a full-scale upgrade, will begin in October 2025 and is scheduled for completion by March 2027.
The upgraded facility will serve multiple purposes, including provision of potable water, irrigation for farming communities, and, in the future, hydroelectric power generation.
Recalling the devastating September 2024 floods that claimed lives and destroyed infrastructure worth billions of naira, the Minister vowed that such a disaster would not be repeated.
“This intervention is critical, not just to prevent another tragedy, but to transform the dam into a game-changer for Borno’s economy,” he said.
During the visit, the Minister inspected the main dam’s gated spillway and the coffer dam, where the contractor is reinforcing the structure. He confirmed that water levels remain under control and commended the contractor for adhering to professional standards and timelines.
To enhance safety during the rainy season, Prof. Utsev directed that the dam’s gates be adjusted to ensure controlled water release.
He, however, expressed concern that some farmers are still cultivating along the dam’s embankment, warning that such activities could compromise the project’s structural integrity. He urged the Borno State Government to intensify public awareness campaigns to halt farming in restricted areas.
Prof. Utsev praised President Tinubu for his unwavering support and Governor Babagana Umara Zulum for his commitment to the people of Borno. He stressed that, once completed, the dam would significantly improve water security, protect communities from flooding, and expand agricultural opportunities across the state.
•The rebuilding and upgrade of Maiduguri’s Alau Dam are highly welcome
On September 9, 2024, the news was dire: more than 30 people perished and hundreds of residents were displaced; and hectares of farmlands destroyed, by a gurgling flood, from heavy rains.
That triggered the collapse of Alau Dam, which submerged parts of Maiduguri, the Borno State capital.
But from that same scene of tears and destruction has come cheery news: the Federal Government has commenced the reconstruction and upgrade of that critical facility. It’s even more exciting that the rebuilding and upgrading are coming with more value being added.
For the Alau Dam community, the value added, in social infrastructure, is the building of a primary school and a hospital, which Prof. Babagana Zulum, the governor of Borno State, announced at the reconstruction kick-off. The repair/upgrade would cost N80 billion.
“This project signifies not just the repair of a physical structure,” the governor declared, “but the revitalisation of hope and prosperity for our people.”
These moves are exceedingly welcome. The government has earned itself plaudits for this earnest step to repair this facility and rebuild the economic and social life of the Alua Dam community, in the Jere local government area of Borno State.
To the dam proper, Prof. Joseph Utzev, the Minister of Water Resources and Sanitation, exposed the government’s thinking, by the project.
“It is evident that the reconstruction and upgrade of Alau Dam will significantly enhance the provision of potable drinking water, support downstream irrigation, boost socio-economic activities and enable flood control,” he explained, “while facilitating other viable socioeconomic activities capable of revamping people’s livelihoods and economic development.”
This matrix of wide socio-economic goals couldn’t have come at a better time, for Borno, domiciled in the poorest of Nigeria’s six geo-political zones, aside being the epicentre of the Boko Haram Islamist plague.
By 2023 tracking, the North East’s poverty rate was 76.5%, compared to the North West (75.8%) and the North Central (66.6%). The corresponding rates for the other zones: South West (40%), South East (49%), South-South (62.6%).
It’s indeed welcome that the government is adopting an all-round development vision in its repair and upgrade of Alau Dam. If for Boko Haram alone, Borno deserves that relief. The North East Development Commission (NEDC) simply has its work cut out for it. That zone races against time, to recoup lost time in the development race.
But back to Alau Dam. The strategy of repair, over a two-year period, is no less laudable. Phase 1 (from March 2025 to September 2026) is for immediate repairs. That is targeted against any fresh flooding. This phase is crucial, for it’s also to reduce, if not completely eliminate, any catastrophic flooding during the repair period. That will take some doing, though.
Phase 2 (from October 2026 to March 2027) is to embark on an extensive and comprehensive de-silting of the dykes and water channels. Aside, it’s also to upgrade the structure to be doughty enough to resist any future collapse, no matter the intensity of the flooding.
Still, why wait till disaster struck before embarking on a comprehensive de-silting? That would reflect the Nigerian aversion to routine maintenance. If the dam had been regularly maintained, by as simple a chore as regular de-silting, perhaps that disastrous flooding would have been averted.
Surely, the country wouldn’t have needed to cough up N80 billion for this repair? Even with the added upgrade, it should have spent far less. Besides, can anyone put a figure to avoidable human suffering, marked by lost lives and vanished living?
Both the repair and upgrade phases of the dam point to a path neglected in the past. That ruinous attitude must change on the part of the facility managers. Otherwise, the dam would only be re-tooled for future flood disasters. September 9, 2024 was one doom too many. It must never be allowed to repeat itself.
The federal government has officially flagged off the reconstruction and upgrade of the Alau Dam in Maiduguri, Borno state, a critical infrastructure project aimed at flood control, water supply, and economic revitalization in the region.
The Minister of Water Resources and Sanitation, Engr. Prof. Joseph Terlumun Utsev, performed the flag-off ceremony at the dam site, reaffirming the administration’s commitment to enhancing water resource infrastructure.
Prof. Utsev noted that the project was necessitated by the devastating floods of September 10, 2024, which severely impacted Maiduguri and surrounding communities.
He revealed that following an assessment by a high-powered Technical Committee on Dam Evaluation, President Tinubu approved ₦80 billion for the full reconstruction and upgrade of the dam.
Utsev said, “The project, set to be executed in two phases over 24 months, will begin with an immediate intervention from March 2025 to September 2025 to mitigate flood risks.
“The second phase, focusing on extensive desilting and structural enhancements for long-term resilience, will run from October 2025 to March 2027.”
The minister assured residents of Borno State that the Federal Ministry of Water Resources and Sanitation would provide full support for the project’s execution.
He urged contractors and engineers to uphold the highest standards of quality, safety, and environmental responsibility, stressing that the project was crucial to restoring hope and security in the state.
Borno State Governor, Babagana Umara Zulum, expressed profound gratitude to President Tinubu for prioritizing the state’s needs.
He highlighted the socio-economic benefits of the upgraded dam, including potable water supply, irrigation, flood control, and hydroelectric power generation.
“This project signifies not just the repair of a physical structure but the revitalization of hope and prosperity for our people,” Governor Zulum said.
He further appealed for both project phases to be executed concurrently to expedite the desilting of critical waterways.
Other dignitaries at the event included the Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Abubakar Kyari; Vice Chairman of the Senate Committee on Water Resources, Senator Kenneth Eze; and Chairman of the House Committee on Water Resources and Sanitation, Rt. Hon. Sada Soli, who all delivered goodwill messages.
Director of Dams and Reservoir Operations, Engr. Ali Dallah at the Federal Ministry of Water Resources, provided technical details and outlined the scope of work.
“It includes reconstructing dykes 1A and 1B as a single dam with a new auxiliary spillway, constructing a new intake structure, expanding penstock pipes for multiple uses, rehabilitating dykes 1C, 2, and 3, replacing control gates, and implementing comprehensive safety management and training programs,” Ali explained.
The event culminated in the official flag-off of the project by Minister Utsev, witnessed by top government officials, engineers, contractors, community leaders, and residents.
The Federal Government has approved N80 billion for the reconstruction and rehabilitation of the Alau Dam in Borno State.
Minister of Water Resources and Sanitation, Joseph Utsev, said after the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting that the Borno State government is partnering with the Federal Government on the project.
It is to be completed within 24 months.
He said the first phase would be completed between February and July.
The minister also provided an update on the National Committee on Dam Evaluation, which was constituted on September 23, 2024, and inaugurated on October 2, 2024.
He explained that after assessing 35 dams, the committee identified the Alau Dam as the most critical and in urgent need of reconstruction and rehabilitation.
He said: “The mandate of that committee was to assess all dams in the country.
“The committee constituted a subcommittee which co-opted engineers and dam experts.
“The committee has assessed about 35 dams so far.
“The interim report was presented to FEC. We saw some challenges as a result of flooding on the 10th of September last year.
• Haunting reality of Zara Aji, others amid Maiduguri’s reptilian surge
• As waters recede, over 150 PWDs missing, presumed dead
• How non-inclusive laws leave disabled elderly at disadvantage
The flood stole through the streets of Gwange like a reptilian beast. Until it got to Zara Aji’s home. By the time the 83-year-old stirred in her bed, she was soaked to the pants. The Alau Dam had collapsed hours before, spilling with nature’s pent-up rage. It was 3 a.m. when the water began its slow, fearsome crawl into her abode.
The cold splash from her feet up to her midriff startled her fully awake. Aji could hear the roar of the water outside and its chilling hum inside her room. She sat, trapped and helpless. At 83, she was blind and her body was frail.
As the flood rose to her waist, the house listed to the weight of the water gushing in from every crack and crevice. Aji’s room became a watery tomb. And in that critical moment, salvation came in the form of her grandson, Mohammed. Having heard the chilling hiss of the flood as it surged into their compound, the teenager was up in an instant, wading through the house in search of his granny.
A debt of love carried through cold waters
Mohammed found Grandma Aji shivering in bed. Promptly, he lifted her onto his back and waded through the depths of the flooded house, against the current that sought to pull them both under.
Tears slid down Aji’s cheeks, as she clung to her grandson, the poetic resonance of the moment sinking into her heart. In that moment, he was no longer the toddler she rocked to sleep on her back, singing soft lullabies. The roles were reversed. The grandson was now the saviour and protector, bearing his grandma to safety through dangerous waters.
Aji could feel the water splashing against the boy’s chest. She could hear him grunt as he fought to keep them moving. And in the darkness, as the deluge splashed threateningly around them, there was a strange, haunting beauty in the way love had come full circle.
Mohammed hastened out of the house before its walls crumbled. There was no turning back. The water seemed endless, but they moved through its depths, slowly but steadily towards London Chikki. He held tightly to his grandmother as if he understood the import of his actions. In that moment, he was carrying more than just her frail body; he was bearing a lifetime of memories, love, and shared history.
Into the shallows, but not to safety
They sought refuge in the London Chikki area, but the flood had not spared it either. The waters were still rising, the current still swirling to pull them both under. “We walked again,” Aji recalled, her voice frail with grief and exhaustion. “We walked until we reached the main road.”
For three days, they stayed on that road, waiting for the waters to recede, like so many others displaced by the flood. Hungry and helpless, the cold seeped into their bones. They were far from safe, but at least they had survived.
Eventually, they sought refuge with Aji’s brother, who took them in until the waters receded. After they deluge, they hurried back to Gwange, only to meet a shell of what used to be their home. Their house was gone, reduced to a pile of broken walls. Grandma Aji’s clothes and her few prized possessions had also been swept away in the torrent, leaving her destitute.
“The government didn’t provide anything for us,” she said. “We heard there was support, but it never came to our community.”
Lost in the torrent: Stories of the invisible
Aji’s experience is one among several narratives of persons with disabilities (PWDs). And they all resonate with a deafening chill. For most elderly PWDs, the flood devastated their lives and exposed their inability to survive natural disasters. As the waters rose and people fled, visually impaired PWDs who could not see the danger approaching were left behind.
Not all were so fortunate, like Aji. On the same night that her grandson rescued her, Safinatu Bala and her friend, Seyidatu, got lost in the waters. Both widows, the duo reportedly lived beside each other in Gamboru, their lives intertwined by friendship and a shared hardship of visual impairment.
When the flood came, they clung to each other and wailed for their neighbours to rescue them from the rising water. But in the chaos, they got separated and swept apart. By morning, neither woman could be found. No one knows if they are still alive or if they had drowned in the surge.
On his part, Iliyasu, an 84-year-old visually impaired and internally displaced person (IDP), told his fellow PWDs and co-squatter around the Monday Market, in Maiduguri, to leave him. “I have lived through too many floods. I will survive,” he said. “But if this is to be my end, then so be it.” His words reflected the desperation of several PWDs amid the deluge. Like Bala and Seyidatu, Iliyasu hasn’t been seen since September 10.
For many PWDs in Maiduguri, the flood was a cruel reminder of their vulnerability. They could not see the rising waters or gauge the danger until it was too late. Volunteers and aid workers in their rush to evacuate the able-bodied, overlooked those who could not flee on their own, noted Zulfatu Adamu, a Maiduguri-based aid worker. And so, the blind and disabled were left behind.
The collapse of Alau Dam
The eventual collapse of the Alau Dam was the result of years of neglect and mismanagement, warnings ignored and postponed repairs. Thus on the night of September 9, 2024, after days of torrential rain, the Alau Dam finally gave way as its weakened structure crumbled under the weight of the water.
At the dam’s collapse, Maiduguri experienced its most severe flooding since 1994. Severe flash flooding submerged the Maiduguri Metropolitan Council (MMC) and Jere Local Government Area (LGA), displacing hundreds of thousands of people, including PWDs, at the height of the agricultural lean season’s food and nutrition crisis.
In a statement titled, “Flooding Alert for River Bank Residents,” the Commissioner for Information and Internal Security, Prof. Usman Tar, called for the immediate evacuation of affected areas, and urged residents to follow designated evacuation routes for their safety. However, a major blindspot of Borno’s rescue plan was the safe evacuation of PWDs in the flood-prone areas.
As the waters surged, many residents panicked and rushed to evacuate what seemed like certain death. For most, it was a panicked dash through roads slick with mud, toward whatever safety they could find. The flood ravaged villages, farmlands, and human lives alike, but hidden in the narrative of loss was the deeper anguish of several elderly PWDs like visually impaired Aji, Bala, Seyidatu and Iliyasu.
Bitter streets, bitterer shelter
Survivors like Fatima Yagana, 74 and visually impaired, sought refuge at emergency shelters. “Before the flood, I lived with my niece. She invited me to squat in her home after her husband died. On the night that the flood destroyed our home, I couldn’t sleep easily. I woke up and everywhere smelt like death. But it was the flood, and it almost drowned me and Rekiya (one of her niece’s kids). We fled and now have to live on the streets. We depend on alms to survive,” she said.
The 74-year-old who has been rendered homeless and destitute by the flood, now lives on the streets with her niece, Ayisatu, and the latter’s two kids, because they couldn’t stay at the Gwange 1 emergency shelter due to the unsanitary conditions.
The crowded shelter, like so many others, offered no sanctuary. The stench of human waste clings to the air all through the squalid and congested shelter, rendering its heated expanse even more suffocating. “The toilets smelt bad,” Yagana lamented, stressing that even though she can’t see, should at least enjoy fresh air. That was why she chose the streets, preferring the rough ground and open sky to the claustrophobia of an unsanitary refuge.
A humanitarian void
The Borno State Government, alongside humanitarian agencies, scrambled to provide aid. Yet, amid the efforts to register and assist the displaced, the specific plight of PWDs slipped through the cracks. In total, more than 2,500 people with disabilities in the flood-prone areas were directly affected by the flood, many of them left stranded in their homes as the waters rose, with over 150 missing or presumed dead, according to the National President of the Joint National Association of Persons with Disabilities (JONAPWD), Abdullahi Ali Usman.
The figure quoted by Ali Usman is no doubt a conservative estimate. It would be recalled that precisely 3,127 PWDs comprising turned out in Maiduguri, to receive the N30,000 grant disbursed by Governor Babagana Umara Zulum, in 2019, as part of the social protection scheme of his administration.
Going by the 2019 figure, the number of PWDs reportedly affected by the September flood, therefore, doesn’t represent the full picture.
The affected PWDs were not invisible, but rather ignored, denied access to the evacuation routes and the dignity of urgent care. The numbers—37 deaths, 58 injured, 414,000 displaced—attest to the depth of the devastation. Beneath the statistics subsists issues of marginalisation and neglect. “Already PWDs are facing marginalisation due to their disabilities, this flood disaster is a double blow for them,” lamented Ali Usman.
Corroborating him, Abiodun Tilawe, a social psychologist and emergency aid consultant stated, “Persons with disabilities are usually at greater risk in an emergency. More worrisome, she argued, is the fate of older PWDs with mental health conditions. “They are at a higher risk of death as the hardships experienced impact devastatingly on their mental health. Many become traumatised by the fear of losing their lives and being left behind. From experience, older PWDs find it difficult to adapt to the extreme conditions into which they are suddenly thrust. Before the disaster, they are not taught about what to do to adapt and keep themselves safe. Some of them, who were displaced from their communities by protracted conflict, lived on the streets without any caregivers. Since the flood happened, they have been unaccounted for, and nobody has bothered to look for them,” said Tilawe.
The trauma after
For PWDs who survived, each day in the aftermath of the flood has been an agonising reminder of their vulnerability. The disaster stripped them of autonomy. Their disability is a barrier to their mobility, access to provisions and dignity.
For Jelani Aliyu, life as a PWD at the Gwange 3 temporary refuge, became extremely difficult. Confined to a wheelchair, the 81-year-old revealed that the damage done by the flood made accessing every basic necessity an impossible feat. According to him, the emergency shelters were not designed for PWDs. The aid distributions were chaotic, the strong elbowed out the weak, and the disabled were left to mope on the fringes. There were no ramps, accessible toilets, and accommodations made for people like him. He was invisible.
The ongoing conflict in the region cast an even darker pall over the lives of PWDs. In 2014, in the town of Damasak, Mohamadou, a blind man of 53 years, fled from his home as Boko Haram laid siege to his community. Blind and defenceless, he clung to his wife and son as they swam across the Yobe River, ducking a volley of gunshots from the rampaging terrorists. “We swam like fish,” he recalled, though he could not see the river.
For two years, Mohamadou lived in a refugee camp, dependent on the kindness of his son and strangers. But his disability marked him as a prey. His young son was frequently shoved aside by stronger, older men, and time after time, as he queued for provisions and other relief items. Thus he often returned empty-handed.
“I would wait in line with my young son to get aid, but adult refugees would kick children away, including my son. We were too weak to fight back and would often lose our turn and return without getting anything from the distribution,” he said.
Mohamadou, like so many PWDs displaced by flood and conflict, became a ghost, alive but uncared for.
It’s a hard life for PWDs
Nigeria was affected by the worst floods in a decade between June and November 2022, according to the Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre (IDMC). The floods triggered over 2.4 million displacements, the highest disaster displacement figure in sub-Saharan Africa in 2022. Half of the displacements were reported in Bayelsa State, but Anambra and Kogi were also heavily affected. Displacement camps in the northeastern state of Borno were also flooded, forcing thousands of people already displaced by conflict and violence to flee again. By comparison, floods triggered 166,000 displacements in 2023, a figure in line with the average of the past decade. By the end of 2023, 81,000 people were still living in internal displacement due to disasters, a more than ten-fold reduction compared to the end of 2022.
Disaster displacement, whether triggered by cyclones, wildfires, floods, or other hazards, is a growing global issue with particularly harsh consequences for PWDs, who have to endure heightened risks due to discrimination and barriers to accessing essential services.
In 2020 and 2021, the UN noted that older PWDs may encounter unique challenges during climate-related disasters, such as the Borno flood. Similarly, a 2021 report by Women in Displacement (WID) revealed that 27% of IDPs in northeast Nigeria have a disability, a figure that has increased since the insurgency. As a result, PWDs living in camps are disproportionately affected and frequently excluded from key interventions.
According to the WHO’s 2018 World Disability Report, many PWDs in Nigeria, are disproportionately affected in disaster, emergency, and conflict situations due to inaccessible evacuation, response, and recovery efforts. The WHO notes that they are more likely to be left behind or abandoned during evacuation in disasters and conflicts due to a lack of preparation and planning, as well as inaccessible facilities, services and transportation systems.
During floods, older PWDs would require greater assistance and additional time to evacuate, but they receive less support. Further findings revealed that most IDP camps are not accessible and people with disabilities get turned away from the emergency shelters, oftentimes, due to a perception that they need “complex medical” services. Consequently, older PWDs find themselves at greater risk as they are more likely to suffer medical conditions, such as heart or respiratory conditions, through extreme situations, according to expert opinion. Older PWDs may also take medications that cause intolerance and impair the body’s response to cold and heat. The high death rates of people with disabilities and older people during the 2021 heatwaves in British Columbia (BC), Canada, illustrate these points: 91 per cent of those who died had a chronic medical condition or a disability and 90 per cent were older people.
Due to the lack of accurate data, it is often unclear exactly how many people with disabilities and older people are affected by a particular disaster as indicated by the Borno flood. The lack of accurate data on the number of IDPs living with a disability and their location equally poses challenges to monitoring their needs and allocating resources. It also makes it difficult to tailor support and assess the inclusivity of responses over long-term recovery and reconstruction efforts.
About a billion people, or 15 per cent of the globe’s population, are estimated to have a disability, of whom 80 per cent live in low- and middle-income countries, according to the Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre (IDMC). The global number of people with disabilities is increasing, partly because of ageing populations and a rise in chronic health conditions. It is not known how many people with disabilities live in IDP camps associated with disasters. The IDMC estimates that 5.1 million people were still displaced as a result of disasters at the end of 2019, but this figure is highly conservative. This is because data on the number of people living in displacement after a disaster event is scarce.
Accessibility issues, stigmatisation and variations in definitions tend to render IDPs with disabilities invisible during data collection. They are, as a result, often under-identified. For example, when Ambae Island in Vanuatu was evacuated in 2017 because of increased volcanic activity, there were concerns that a significant number of people with disabilities had not been identified among the evacuees. The International Organization for Migration’s Displacement Tracking Matrix (IOM-DTM) reported 37 people with disabilities out of 5,125 people located in one evacuation centre. This represented less than one per cent of the total displaced population. Sources vary on the prevalence of disability in Vanuatu, but 2019 data from the UN placed it at up to 12 per cent.
Disability Bill as a paper tiger
On January 23, 2019, Nigeria’s former President Muhammadu Buhari signed into law the Discrimination Against Persons with Disabilities (Prohibition) Act, 2018, following nine years of relentless advocacy by disability rights groups and activists.
The law prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability and imposes sanctions including fines and prison sentences on those who contravene it. It also stipulates a five-year transitional period for modifying public buildings, structures, and automobiles to make them accessible and usable for people with disabilities.
The law also established a National Commission for Persons with Disabilities (NCPD) in 2020. The NCPWD, tasked to guarantee PWDs access to housing, education, and healthcare, is also empowered to receive complaints of rights violations and support victims to seek legal redress amongst other duties.
Yet, one thing the NCPWD hasn’t done is to ensure the protection of Nigerians with disabilities during a natural disaster, emergency or conflict.
Lack of data accentuate social exclusion
Quoting recent World Health Organisation (WHO) figures, the immediate past executive secretary of the NCPWD, James Lalu, disclosed that currently, there are over 35.1 million persons living with disabilities in Nigeria of which a paltry 4,000 are duly registered.
Notwithstanding, his successor and incumbent executive secretary of the Commission, has reiterated the NCPWD’s commitment to ensuring inclusive policies for all clusters of PWDs in line with the Renewed Hope agenda of the incumbent administration of President Bola Tinubu.
Gufwan made the assurance in Abuja during a parley with a delegation from the Pioneers of the Nigerian National and International Disability Civil Rights Movement and Policy Chapters, a disability advocacy Group.
“We are open to partnering with National and International bodies to ensure that the rights and privileges of persons with disabilities are protected as stipulated by the Prohibition Act, 2018,” he said.
Earlier, Gufwan affirmed that data remains a veritable tool for the proper planning and execution of all disability-inclusive projects in Nigeria.
The NCPWD had previously emphasised the importance of accurate data gathering and processing as the fundamental aspect of inclusive social policies for PWDs. “We must prioritise facts and figures of various clusters in the disability community to get it right,” he said, insisting that the need to ascertain the actual number of persons with disabilities is pertinent. “Over the years, persons with disabilities are believed to be about 35.1 million in Nigeria which is of course, a staggering figure but, we must revisit this and ascertain the authenticity of this figure and update it if necessary,” he said.
A 2018 estimate by the National Population Commission (NPC) states that there are about 19 million, that is, 9.6 per cent of the 198 population approximately, living in Nigeria.
In Nigeria, social protection for PWDs remains weak, despite government claims of increased provisioning for them. The Discrimination Against Persons with Disabilities (Prohibition) Act, passed only after years of advocacy, has done little to address the deep-rooted exclusion PWDs face in society. Discrimination persists, driven by negative perceptions and cultural stigmas that label disabled individuals as cursed, especially in communities lacking proper disability-inclusive governance.
This exclusion often results in poverty, dependence on others, and health challenges. In the conflict-ridden northeast, PWDs, particularly women and children, suffer more acutely, being unable to pursue livelihoods or enjoy basic social rights.
A report by the Grassroots Researchers Associations (GRA), authored by written by Timothy Ali Yohanna, revealed that PWDs in northeast Nigeria suffer frequent violations of their rights. These include opposition to marriages with non-disabled individuals, denial of medical care due to financial constraints, denial of access to decent shelter, and exclusion from social opportunities.
More worrisome is the institutionalised disregard for their right to life as established before, during, and in the aftermath of the Borno flood. These discriminatory practices and lack of disability-inclusive policies rendered PWDs particularly vulnerable during the disaster, further deepening their already precarious situation.
The need for inclusion
Whether fleeing an extreme weather event or conflict, “disabled people are among the most vulnerable, and are more likely to be side-lined in every aspect of the humanitarian assistance process,” said Cheick Ba, Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC)’s Country Director in Nigeria, in the wake of Mohamadou’s predicament.
“They face multiple barriers in accessing aid, information, healthcare and protection. We, humanitarians, must do much better in our work. We have to systematically identify and register displaced persons with disabilities,” said Ba.
Article 11 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in risk and humanitarian emergencies, pays particular attention to the obligation of States and parties to undertake “all necessary measures to ensure the protection and safety of persons with disabilities in situations of risk, including situations of armed conflict, humanitarian emergencies and the occurrence of natural disasters.”
Environmental dangers and natural disasters like the Borno flood, can lead to the onset of many types of disabilities, and inaccessible environments prevent persons with disabilities from taking part in social and economic recovery. Rehabilitation and reconstruction efforts, therefore, must not only be inclusive and responsive to the needs of all people, including PWDs, but should include the latter’s participation, to ensure that their needs and rights are respected.
Women with disabilities, Aji, are a particularly vulnerable group whose needs should be included at all stages of recovery and reconstruction efforts.
But that is in the long run, in the short run, their survival depends on the goodwill of neighbours and family; those who dare look their way, not to scorn their ordeal or simply talk eyes to their grief.
As the waters recede and Maiduguri takes stock of the damage, there is a sense of loss so profound it is hard to put into words. Lives have been upended, homes have been destroyed, and communities torn apart. Amid the wreckage, there is also a sense of despair as elderly PWDs are left adrift, far from the government’s reconstruction plans.
In the absence of government support, Zara Aji, for instance, has learnt to take each day as it comes. At her last encounter with the reporter, giant houseflies buzzed lazily in the thick air around her, their tiny, winged bodies hovering around her face as if they could perceive her grief. They perched on her eyelids, cheek, and lips. Aji did not flinch. She did not swat them away. Instead, she sat stoic, with heartbreaking inertia, allowing the flies to perch as they pleased. Their buzz filled the air with a strange, haunting hum, as though they too mourned the loss she had endured.
For the 83-year-old, there is no going back to what was. The flood had changed everything. Every sunset, she lounges on the broken veranda of what was once her home, reliving that fateful night in September, when the skies poured over Maiduguri with a fury rarely seen, collapsing the Alau Dam and submerging several homes and lives in Borno. Gwange, the neighbourhood where she had lived for years, is now a shell of itself; a landscape of mud and sorrow.
Aji, 83 and visually impaired, cannot see the destruction around her. But she can feel it in the cold draft of the breeze, the dampness that clings to her skin, and the hollow echo of the neighbourhood’s once-familiar sounds.
Her frail memories remain her only witness to the horror of the reptilian flood that submerged her home, almost drowning her. Until salvation arrived in the form of her grandson, in a poignant moment that affirmed a debt long owed and finally repaid.
The House of Representatives on Thursday asked the Federal Ministry of Water Resources to reassess, fortify and reconstruct the Alau Dam to forestall any future occurrence of floods or any mishap, while capturing the reconstruction work of the dam in the 2025 budget.
The House also asked the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) to embrace technology-assisted enforcement in the management of road safety and evaluate the effectiveness of enforcement strategies, whether technology-assisted methods are reducing traffic violations and improving safety
The House resolutions followed two separate motions on notice by Abdulkadir Rais (APC, Borno) and . Garba Ibrahim Muhammad (NNPP, Kano) at Thursday plenary of the House.
The House said the FRSC should adopt Automatic Vehicle Local (AVL) systems; Automated Traffic Enforcement (ATE) systems; Advanced analytics and data platforms and other potential options in the management of road safety in the country.
Moving his motion, Rais said the Alau Dam with a maximum storage capacity of 112-million litres, located in Alau Community of Borno State was constructed in 1984 to provide water for irrigation and domestic use in Maiduguri;
According to him, the Dam was constructed by the government not only to store water for use, but to also help control flooding from the Ngadda River; adding that it first collapsed on the 13th September, 1994 causing flood in Maiduguri and its environs that destroyed properties, public amenities and farmlands causing the displacement of about half a million residents.
He expressed concern that almost exactly 30 years later on 10th September, 2024, Maiduguri was again flooded by the worst flood in its history, affecting over 60% of the city destroying lives, properties and critical city infrastructure like roads, bridges, hospitals, schools, markets and other public utilities as a result of the collapse of the dam.
He said that despite several budgetary allocations over the years the Alau Dam has remained in poor shape, hence the recurring collapse and the ensuing floods over the years.
While moving his own motion, Garba Ibrahim Muhammad said the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) was established in 1988 with the responsibility of promoting safe driving practices, reducing road accidents and fosters the culture of road safety awareness across the country.
According to him, Federal Road Safety Commission officers patrol highways, apprehend traffic offenders, issue traffic regulations to deter dangerous driving and regulate the issuance of driver’s licenses to ensure only qualified individuals operate vehicles on the roads.
He however expressed concern that the enforcement methods of physical checkpoints pose potential risks to commuters, the location of checkpoints on steep inclines or declines can be dangerous, especially for motorcycles and tricycles, application of sudden brake or swerve maneuvers to avoid checkpoints can lead to accidents.
He also concerned that checkpoints create bottlenecks, especially during peak hours, leading to traffic jams and delays coupled with alleged reports of FRSC officials engaging in corrupt practices at checkpoints, soliciting bribes from motorists, or impounding vehicles for minor offenses.
He said the practice of using motorcycles and vehicles to chase commuters for traffic offenses by FRSC officials raises concerns as the chase was always on high speed, posing a risk to bystanders, and resulting in loss of control leading to injuries and minor accidents;
He stressed that while the Federal Road Safety Commission’s (FRSC) goal of enforcing traffic laws is understandable, it’s crucial to prioritize the safety of everyone on the road. Chasing commuters should be a last resort, employed only in situations where it is absolutely necessary and can be done safely.
The recent flood, which has submerged entire neighbourhoods, destroyed farmlands, and displaced thousands of people, is being called one of the worst in the region’s history. Authorities have urged immediate evacuation of residents along riverbanks, as the overflowing dam threatens further destruction.
The Alau Dam, constructed between 1984 and 1986, was originally built to provide potable water and support irrigation activities in Maiduguri and its environs. However, structural defects discovered nearly a decade ago were never fully addressed. Despite repeated budget allocations by the Federal Ministry of Water Resources—over ₦432 million between 2020 and 2024 for dam rehabilitation—experts claim there is little evidence that substantial repairs were made.
The dam had previously overflowed in 1994, causing widespread flooding, but nothing of this magnitude. A recent analysis conducted by Ramat Polytechnic in 2015 warned of significant structural risks and recommended immediate de-sedimentation and expansion of the dam to prevent exactly what is happening now. The dam has been overstressed for years, holding twice its capacity, and was bound to overflow with this year’s heavy rainfall.
While the federal government attributes the flood to climate change and unprecedented rainfall, many experts point to mismanagement and human activities. Governor Babagana Zulum of Borno State acknowledged that both climate change and human encroachment into floodplains—despite previous demolition efforts—worsened the situation. Over 4,000 homes built along the waterways were demolished in past efforts to curb flooding, but many more remained.
A disaster foretold
Built in 1986, the Alau Dam was originally designed to provide water for irrigation and domestic use. However, years of neglect and a lack of proper maintenance have left the dam vulnerable to the overflow that occurred last week. According to experts, defects in the dam’s structure were first identified over nine years ago, yet nothing was done despite repeated budgetary allocations by the federal government for its rehabilitation.
The budget provision for the dam in 2020 was N285 million; in 2021, it was N80 million; in 2022, it was N37.6 million and in the 2024 Appropriation Act, it was N30 million. Despite these funds being earmarked, no evidence suggests that repairs were ever made. In fact, documents obtained show that the Federal Ministry of Water Resources and the Chad Basin Development Authority (CBDA) did not adequately maintain the dam, leaving it ill-prepared for this year’s torrential rains.
Climate change or human error?
While the Minister of Water Resources, Prof. Joseph Utsev, attributed the dam’s overflow to excessive rainfall and climate change, experts and public affairs analysts argue otherwise. They insist that the dam’s collapse could have been prevented through timely rehabilitation, and that climate change is being used as a convenient scapegoat for what is ultimately a human-made disaster.
Health crisis in the making
As the floodwaters recede, concerns over water-borne disease and contamination grow. The University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital (UMTH) has reported fears of radioactive contamination from submerged medical equipment, though authorities assure the public that levels remain within acceptable limits. However, medical experts are more concerned about the potential spread of diseases due to the widespread contamination of drinking water.
Thousands of displaced residents are struggling to access safe drinking water and sanitation facilities. Relief camps, such as Bakassi Camp, are overwhelmed with survivors, many of whom are forced to rely on contaminated floodwaters for daily activities, increasing the risk of cholera and other infectious diseases.
Experts are calling for immediate rehabilitation of the Alau Dam and a nationwide review of dam management practices to prevent future disasters. While rescue missions are ongoing, there is a growing sense of frustration over the government’s failure to prioritize the dam’s maintenance, despite consistent budget allocations for repairs.
As floodwaters recede, Maiduguri faces another looming crisis: the spread of waterborne diseases. Thousands of displaced people are struggling to access safe drinking water, while others are resorting to using contaminated floodwaters for daily activities. Health experts warn of a high risk of infections and waterborne diseases such as cholera and typhoid.
Medical experts at the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital (UMTH) have also raised concerns over possible chemical contamination from submerged medical equipment, including radioactive materials used in the hospital’s cancer centre.
Dr. Abubakar Ngubdo, chairman of the Association of Resident Doctors, has called on authorities to tackle this impending health crisis, warning that “there is severe contamination of surface water, and the risk of disease spread is high.”
In the wake of this disaster, relief efforts have ramped up. The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has begun airlifting relief materials to flood-hit areas, while the Kano State government has donated N100 million to aid victims. International bodies such as the World Health Organization (WHO) have also pledged support, with their representatives visiting Maiduguri to assess the damage and mobilize resources.
However, the scale of the disaster has overwhelmed local relief efforts. At various camps housing displaced persons, complaints of poor sanitation and open defecation are widespread, further increasing the risk of disease outbreaks. Water tanks provided at these camps are insufficient, forcing many to rely on unsafe water sources.
Public outcry over the handling of the dam’s maintenance has reached new heights, with demands for accountability from both the Federal Ministry of Water Resources and the CBDA. Residents and experts alike are questioning where the budgeted funds went and why the dam’s rehabilitation was never prioritized.
“This is not just a natural disaster. It’s a failure of governance,” said Engr. Toyin Ajeigbe, a water engineer. “The signs were there, but nothing was done. Now, the people are paying the price.”
The Federal Government has assured the public that the Alau Dam in Borno did not collapse during recent flooding, attributing the overflow to climate change and unusually heavy rainfall.
Prof. Joseph Utsev, Minister of Water Resources and Sanitation, extended the government’s condolences to the people of Borno State during a press conference in Abuja on Friday, following the devastating floods.
The minister noted that earlier this year, a flood risk warning identified 31 states, including Borno, as high-risk areas.
He said a team of technical experts from the ministry, various agencies, and the Chad Basin Development Authority were currently assessing the damage and working on solutions.
Utsev warned residents about the risks of contaminated water and the potential for waterborne diseases.
He also warned the increasing threat of river flooding along the Niger and Benue rivers, urging all regions to stay vigilant and take proactive measures.
He mentioned the President’s approval of N108 billion for flood prevention across the 36 states, based on recommendations from the Presidential Committee on Flood Disaster Prevention.
Utsev urged state governments and stakeholders to follow early warning systems and implement preventive actions to reduce future flooding.
The minister pledged the Federal Government’s commitment to supporting affected communities, saying technical teams were assessing dams nationwide and planning upgrades.
“Government officials confirmed that climate change has intensified rainfall, leading to excess water that many dams are struggling to manage.
“When this administration began, we immediately initiated studies and designs for the rehabilitation of existing dams, including Alau.
“The dam didn’t collapse, but it struggled to handle the excess water from nearby tributaries, causing overflow into surrounding areas”.
He added that long-term solutions were underway, with budgetary allocations for 2024 and 2025 specifically targeting dam rehabilitation.
“As temperatures rise, we expect increased rainfall, leading to higher water volumes in our rivers and channels.
“Proactive measures are crucial to preventing future escalations,”Utsev said.
Alhaji Bello Goronyo, the Minister of State for Water Resources and Sanitation, urged the media to exercise caution when reporting on sensitive issues.
He stressed that misinformation and disinformation posed a threat to the nation, and urged greater collaboration to enhance the well-being of citizens
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that many residents of Maiduguri, Borno State, have been displaced by flooding caused by the overflow of the Alau Dam.
The flood had submerged residential areas, roads, and bridges, making parts of the city inaccessible.
Maiduguri is experiencing its worst flooding in 30 years, with homes underwater, schools closed, and businesses paralysed, as residents evacuate with their belongings.
