By Ephraim Agbo
It's July in Nigeria, and the skies have opened up — again. But what’s also pouring in is the familiar cycle of warnings, destruction, and finger-pointing. According to the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) and the Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency (NIHSA), 20 states are on red alert for flash flooding this month.
What’s worse? These warnings come despite over ₦620 billion released for flood and ecological control projects across the country. So the big question is: where is the impact of all that money?
🚨 Flash Flood Forecast: 20 States on the Line
The latest Flood Outlook Bulletin from NiMet (July 2025), cross-verified by NIHSA’s 2024/2025 annual report, flagged the following states as at-risk:
- High-Risk States: Sokoto, Zamfara, Jigawa, Kaduna, Bauchi, Yobe, Adamawa, Taraba
- Moderate to High-Risk: Lagos, Ogun, Ondo, Edo, Delta, Rivers, Bayelsa, Cross River, Akwa Ibom, Niger, Nasarawa, Benue
In 2022 alone, flooding affected over 4.4 million people, killed over 662 Nigerians, and displaced 2.5 million others, according to NEMA. The trend doesn’t seem to be slowing.
💸 ₦620 Billion Ecological Fund: Spent, but on What?
Let’s talk money. According to the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation and multiple civil society budget trackers:
- ₦620 billion has been disbursed to state and local governments between 2016 and 2024 as ecological and disaster response funds.
- For example, Delta State received over ₦20 billion, while Bayelsa got ₦15 billion, and Kano, over ₦18 billion.
- Yet, in most of these places, no publicly visible or audited flood control project exists.
A report by BudgIT in 2023 even flagged over ₦110 billion worth of ecological projects as “non-performing” or “untraceable.” That’s a diplomatic way of saying someone probably ate the money.
🏛️ Lagos and Kano: Few States Taking Action
Amidst this, some states are trying—though critics say it’s “too little, too late.”
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Lagos State Government, through the Ministry of the Environment, has begun desilting and clearing major drains across Ajegunle, Ikoyi, Ojo, Lagos Island, Meiran, and Eti-Osa.
- Officials claim over 72 major drainage channels have been cleared in the last month.
- Yet, Lagos still experienced 8 flooding incidents in June alone, affecting Ikorodu, Festac, and Victoria Island.
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In Kano, the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) launched a flood simulation drill in Wudil LGA, highlighting concerns about the Tiga and Challawa Dams, which overflow annually.
- Over 2 million residents in Kano and Jigawa fall within the flood zone of these dams.
🧍🏽♂️ So What Can the Average Nigerian Do?
It’s sad, but we’re back to telling citizens to “do what you can” while institutions play the blame game. NiMet advises:
- Don’t dump refuse in drains. (Yes, again. We all say it, but we still see it.)
- Turn off electricity and gas during rainfall.
- Keep an emergency kit: Flashlight, battery radio, power bank, water, and copies of essential documents.
- Evacuate if your area is low-lying or near rivers, especially in Bayelsa, Benue, Lagos, and Sokoto.
📉 The Bigger Problem: It’s Not Just Rain, It’s Mismanagement
Climate change is global—but why are Nigerian cities uniquely vulnerable year after year?
Here’s the hard truth:
- Over 70% of Nigerian urban areas lack effective drainage systems, per the Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE).
- Urban planning laws are routinely violated—developers build on waterways, and regulators look away.
- Only 11 out of 36 states have flood management masterplans (source: NESREA, 2024).
And that ₦620 billion? There’s no centralized, transparent platform to track what was built, when, and where. It’s a mystery fund with flood-sized consequences.
🗣️ Final Thought
The flood isn’t just water. It’s the flood of excuses, the flood of misused funds, and the flood of helplessness that follows every July.
This isn’t just a natural disaster—it’s a systemic failure. When ₦620 billion disappears into paperwork, and all the citizens get is a tweet saying “stay safe,” then something is deeply wrong.
Until there’s accountability, until contracts come with consequences, and until ecological funds start building flood walls—not political walls—we’ll keep floating and flailing through every rainy season.
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