Despite billions released, Nigeria still not ready for floods — Ex-NEMA boss - Punch Newspapers
Nigeria has sufficient data and early warnings to prepare for flooding, but poor use of available funds and information continues to leave vulnerable communities exposed to displacement, destruction of homes and disruption of livelihoods, a former acting Director-General of the National Emergency Management Agency, Air Vice Marshal Akugbe Iyamu (retd.), has said. Iyamu, who spoke on the country’s recurring flood crisis, questioned how the Ecological Fund and other funds released for disaster preparedness had been used, arguing that the resources should be deployed to prevent flooding rather than respond after communities have suffered damage. His comments come amid recurring flooding in several parts of Nigeria, with heavy rainfall causing damage to homes and infrastructure and disrupting livelihoods, our correspondent reports from the Arise News interview on Friday. According to Iyamu, changes in rainfall patterns should have provided sufficient warning for authorities to strengthen flood preparedness. “The problem with us here is data for us to work with. Over time, the rainfall moved from between 1,150 mm and 1,202 mm to 2,000 mm and 4,000 mm. That’s quite a lot. That should have warned us. “Between 2023 and 2025, 109 billion Naira was released for the Ecological Fund. What have the states used it for? The Ecological Fund was very, very definitive when pious people brought it on board in 1982. It was 1%. Then it was raised to 2% by President Ibrahim Babangida, and to 3% by President Olusegun Obasanjo. What are they using it for?” He said the central problem was not a lack of money but how funds earmarked for ecological challenges were directed. “Our problem is not the finances; it is the way the finances are directed.See more Punch stories on Google.Add Punch on Google “We have to reset what the Ecological Fund is meant for, as enshrined in the Constitution. Section 20 of the Nigerian Constitution states clearly what ecology looks like. It is not pocket money for states. This is not what Nigerian citizens deserve,” he said. Iyamu also criticised what he described as bureaucracy and a lack of transparency and accountability in the management of funds intended for flood prevention and preparedness. He said states often treated ecological funds as part of their regular allocations rather than separating and deploying them for disaster mitigation. “There is time to prepare for all this. You understand? Flooding now, before it gets to this stage, countries are using barriers. The Anticipatory Action Taskforce. You have 83.2 billion Naira; what are you using it for? “They are creating a space—a space of bureaucracy. You must, first of all, create transparency, then create accountability. If you are creating a space for the Anticipatory Action Taskforce, how are you going to monitor the money? Ecological Fund—how are you going to monitor the money? If you give the money, the sub-nationals believe that this money is part of the state allocation, and they don’t separate it.” Abuja flood risk On flooding in Abuja, Iyamu said damage to the city’s original drainage and relief-line designs had made the situation difficult to reverse. He asserted, “The Abuja case is irreversible damage. There’s nothing you are going to do about it again. The destruction is irreversible. “Abuja was made as a purpose-built city. Purpose-built city—that means you build it from the beginning. Kenzo Tange, who designed Abuja, said Abuja can never flood. Can never! Because the relief lines were 100 meters—you can have six trailers passing through. But they have reduced it to about 30 meters, some even 10 meters. How are you not going to have flooding?” He called for the restoration of Abuja’s original master plan, particularly its drainage and water-flow channels. “What needs to happen now is to go back to the original master plan,” he stated. For other parts of the country, Iyamu said the Ecological Fund should be used for preventive measures, including the construction of sandbanks and riverbanks, rather than being reserved primarily for relief after disasters occur. “For the rest of the country, now is the time to use the Ecological Fund. It is not pocket money. Not for relief. “First of all, let us harmonize our response agencies. Instead of having NiMet, NIHSA, all of them—if they are coming under the Ministry of Environment, let them come under the Ministry of Environment. “Two, the Ecological Fund, for preparation like this, whether you are building sandbanks, riverbanks, or whatever, that’s also there. Then, the Anticipatory Action Taskforce needs to do its work. You have 83.2 billion Naira released by the National Economic Fund—it needs to be used,” he concluded. Tosin Oyediran Tosin Oyediran is a journalist with Punch Newspapers, bringing over eight years of newsroom experience to his coverage of politics, health, advocacy, sports, and entertainment. Known for sharp interviews and human-centered reporting, his work focuses on public accountability, civic issues, and the stories shaping everyday lives.
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