Niger Delta
Floods: Bayelsa Experience, Crisis Of Major Proportion -UN
The United Nations has described the flood disaster in Bayelsa State as a crisis of major proportion that deserves attention.
The UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Nigeria and Representative of the Secretary General, Mr. Matthias Schmale, stated this at the weekend when he led a delegation comprising officials of the global body, the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the Federal Ministry of Water Resources on a courtesy visit to Governor Douye Diri in Government House, Yenagoa.
A statement by the governor’s Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Daniel Alabrah, quoted Schmale as likening the Bayelsa situation to the Pakistani floods that attracted global attention.
The Tide learnt that the UN Coordinator, who had accompanied Governor Diri on his tour to some flood-impacted communities in Southern Ijaw Local Government Area last Friday, said his visit was a response to the letter from the Governor, and called for attention to address the devastating effect of the flooding.
Schmale commended Governor Diri for his commitment in visiting flooded communities in the state, noting that what he witnessed required both material and moral support.
He also stated that the UN will advocate and mobilize resources for the recovery phase to enable victims return to their normal lives, stressing that it was “disheartening that lives, livelihoods and assets had been lost to the flood”.
He, therefore, called on the Federal Government and the international community to join hands to support what was left of the immediate response and recovery phases.
“Thanks for allowing the team and I to join you and your team on the visits you are conducting around flood-affected communities. The first thing I will share publicly is that this is a crisis of major proportion.
“What I saw reminded me of the images I saw of Pakistan a few months ago and the world took note of that. A third of Pakistan, the size of the United Kingdom, was under water.
“The images reminded me of that. We need to be very clear, this is a crisis of major proportion that deserves everyone’s attention.
“Secondly, my respect to you and your team, and, of course, your Deputy goveyrnor. I think it takes considerable commitment to now be in your third week of visiting flooded communities, which I have not seen anywhere else.
“What I saw was that you were not only providing material aid to communities, but also moral support. I could see the way you and your team were received.
“There were signs and glimmers of hope around people’s faces and we should not underestimate that. Obviously, this is still immediate response phase.
“I think the next would be recovery and we will think through with United Nations team what we can do to advocate and mobilize resources for the recovery phase as people are able to get back to their normal lives”, Schmale said.
The Nigeria’s representative of the UN Secretary-General noted that the cause of the present disaster was climate change and that it would be the responsibility of the UN Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, to speak emphatically during this year’s Climate Conference in Egypt about the need to invest in mitigation and adaptation measures.
Noting that Nigeria and Bayelsa were not the main cause of climate change, he said there was a moral case to be made for compensation as they are both on the receiving and not the causing ends.
Responding, Governor Douye Diri thanked the UN Secretary-General for sending his representative to the state at a time it was in need of help.
The governor also appreciated the UN representative for embarking on a tour of flooded communities with him and for affirming that Bayelsa was the worst-hit state in this year’s flood in the country.
”Let me first say that I am humbled by your comments. At a time that we need help, I think you have been divinely sent here. We wrote those letters not only to the United Nations but to several others, including our country’s President.
“But you are the first to respond to our call. We appreciate you as a State Government, as a people and as the Ijaw ethnic nationality.
“Let me also appreciate the Honourable Minister of Water Resources for permitting the Permanent Secretary, our own daughter, Dame Didi Walson-Jack, to be part of this entourage. We are not fighting the Federal Government.
“The Federal Government is our father and at a time that your son or daughter needs help, we expected that they will be there for us. It would have been okay for you to just fly into Yenagoa and hold this meeting and return, but you decided to feel and see things for yourself. But for flight delays, you would have seen several more because we went to nine communities on Friday.
“From what you have said, it is very clear that you are satisfied with the fact that Bayelsa State is the most impacted state in this 2022 flooding in Nigeria”, Diri said.
By: Ariwera Ibibo-Howells, Yenagoa
Niger Delta
PIND, Partners Holds a _3days Workshop On Data-Driven Resilience Planning For Crime Prevention In Port Harcourt
The Foundation for Partnership Initiatives in the Niger Delta (PIND), in collaboration with the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH, the Office for Strategic Preparedness and Resilience (OSPRE), and The Fund for Peace (FFP), has concluded a landmark three-day Niger Delta Scenario Planning Workshop on Resilience in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
L–R: Mr. Abiodun Akanbi, Peacebuilding Coordinator, PIND; Ms. Svenja Ossmann, GIZ ECOWAS Cluster Coordinator; Mr Edekobi Anthony Chukwemeka, Early Warning Analyst, OSPRE; Ms. Amy Gukas, Junior Technical Advisor, GIZ; Mr. Nate Haken, Senior Advisor, Research and Innovation, FFP; and Mr. Afeno Super Odomovo, Senior Peacebuilding Coordinator, PIND at the Niger Delta Scenario Planning Workshop on Resilience in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
The program Supported by the ECOWAS Peace, Security and Governance (EPSG) Project, co-financed by the European Union (EU) and the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ).
The workshop brought together over 100 participants from government, civil society, the private sector, academia, traditional authorities, and the media to co-create data-driven strategies for crisis preparedness and regional resilience.
The theme of the three days event “From Risk to Resilience: Building a Future-Ready Niger Delta,” marked a major step in shifting regional approaches from reactive crisis response to proactive resilience planning.
Participants explored how the region can anticipate, adapt to, and recover from climate shocks, insecurity, and governance challenges through collaborative and foresight-based approaches,Using advanced analytical tools such as the Fragile States Index (FSI), State Resilience Index (SRI), and Crisis Sensitivity Simulator (CSS), enhanced by AI-powered risk modeling developed by the Fund for Peace and SAS, participants analyzed systemic risks, developed plausible crisis scenarios, and designed practical response strategies tailored to the Niger Delta’s realities.
Speaking at the occasion,
Executive Director of PIND Foundation. Mr Sam Ogbemi Daibo represented by Mr David Udofia said the workshop demonstrates how data, foresight, and partnerships can transform uncertainty into opportunity, and ensure that resilience becomes a shared responsibility across communities, institutions, and sectors, adding that
the Niger Delta’s future depends on our ability to anticipate challenges rather than merely react to the opportunity.
The initiative convened representatives from NEMA, SEMA, NiMet, HYPREP, the Nigeria Police Force, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), ministries of environment and agriculture, and civil society networks such as the Partners for Peace (P4P). Delegates from the Regional Peace Council of Ghana’s Northern and Oti regions also participated, fostering cross-border exchange and strengthening regional crisis preparedness across West Africa.
Also speaking,
Senior Advisor for Research & Innovation at FFP, Nate Haken stressed that
this initiative exemplifies how collaboration across government, civil society, and academia can strengthen peace and security,” said Nate Haken, Senior Advisor for Research & Innovation at FFP. “By linking data to decision-making, we are laying the foundation for a resilient Niger Delta and a safer West Africa.”
“Over three days ,participants engaged in contextual analysis, scenario building, and AI-assisted “red teaming” to test response assumptions and develop integrated resilience plans. Key outputs include a Niger Delta Resilience Strategy outlining coordinated crisis preparedness actions, a comprehensive scenario planning report documenting lessons learned, and a replicable methodology adaptable for other regions in Nigeria and across West Africa.”
According to him,These outcomes will be embedded within existing coordination structures, including the Partners for Peace (P4P) network and state-level emergency management systems, ensuring that insights translate into practical action.
According to a representative of OSPRE,
Mr Edkobi Anthony Chukwuemeka
“This process strengthens our capacity to connect early warning with early action, ensuring that preparedness becomes part of how we govern and grow.” The scenario planning workshop stands as a regional model for anticipatory governance, integrating foresight, technology, and cross-sector collaboration into Nigeria’s broader resilience and peacebuilding framework.
As Nigeria and West Africa confront rising climate and security risks, the Niger Delta Scenario Planning Workshop sets a new benchmark for how data-driven foresight, innovation, and inclusive collaboration can transform risk into resilience.
