At the amusement park the other day, a scene was created by a man who claimed that his wife had delivered a baby the previous day and he had no money to provide the basic things needed in the hospital. He came to the park and was approaching the fun seekers, soliciting for financial aid. A particular woman who did not like the “disturbance” reported him to the security men who immediately rushed to whisk him away. Expectedly, the needy man put up some resistance and that led to the fracas that attracted many people.Some people were asking why a man whose wife was pregnant for nine months never made plans to at least buy the basic things that will be needed upon the arrival of the baby.  “How can you impregnate your wife and for nine months you could not buy even an ordinary diaper or powder. You waited until your wife delivered before you started running helter skelter looking for who to assist you? You no get shame?”, one man asked.
But is that man’s attitude not the same with that of many other Nigerians? As individuals, groups and institutions, we hardly seek solutions to our problems until it is too late. Someone’s vehicle will develop fault but he will not attend to it until it breaks down completely. A building will have a crack but the occupants and the owner will overlook it until the building collapses, killing some people. The example is endless and it occurs both on a small and large scale. Just look at the issue of flooding in Nigeria. Flooding has become a perennial problem in Nigeria. Although the degree and seriousness of the natural disaster fluctuates, flooding remains a recurring phenomenon in most parts of the country. In 2012, the country was hit by devastating floods which affected 32 states, killing more than 360 people and displacing almost two million others. The seriousness of the flooding was attributed to a combination of two events: very heavy local rainfall and the release of excess water from the Lagdo Dam in Cameroon.
Ten years later, the release of water from the same Lagdo Dam was largely blamed for the worst floods ever experienced in the country.  The Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika, recently disclosed that devastating floods witnessed in many parts of the country in 2022 led to the death of over 600 people and displacement of over 2.4 million. It also affected investments in agriculture, transport infrastructure, houses, power lines worth millions of dollars.It was a very difficult time for many Nigerians whose homes and property were submerged. Roads were damaged.  Some high ways in Lokoja, Kogi State axis were taken over by flood. We recall the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) blaming Lokoja highway flood for the acute fuel scarcity in Abuja and its environ at that time. The rains are almost here, what measures have been put in place to prevent a repeat of the ugly experiences of the previous years?
A few weeks ago, the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet), unveiled its 2023 Seasonal Climate Prediction (SCP), which predicted an early rainfall Onset date in some states. Although the NiMet forecast has predicted a largely normal rainfall pattern, it also indicated a high possibility of flash floods in some states. NiMet Director-General, Prof. Mansur Matazu, said there was likely to be elevated dry spell in some states of the north with potential adverse impact on planted crops.  In the aspect of health, the SCP disclosed that high vigilance for malaria is anticipated in the coastal zone of the country as early as January 2023 and spreads northwards as the year progresses, covering up to parts of Taraba, Benue, Kogi, Kwara and Nasarawa states in north central zone of the country.
Also, high vigilance for meningitis was anticipated over the extreme northeast of the country, covering most of Borno, Yobe and parts of Jigawa states, as early as January 2023, and as the year progressed, the area under high vigilance threshold extended southwards and reached the maximum extent in March 2023. “With the early onset and ample amount of rains expected and the experiences of the year 2022, it would be good to know that the water table has not gone too low and the aquifers are still very much active across the country and as such there could be chances of flash floods over many places, largely due to poor sanitation practices. These floods could lead to the outbreak of diseases, fatalities and the destruction of property”, Matazu said.The big question is, what are we as individuals and a country doing with this prediction?
Are measures underway to prevent the preventable ones and mitigate the effect or are we, like the man at the amusement park, whose wife was delivered of a baby, just folding our hands waiting until the disaster happens before we start running up and down, providing palliative materials and all what not? Reports have it that an agreement was reached between Nigeria and Cameroon for Nigeria to build a counterpart dam that would take in water from Lagdo whenever Cameroonian authorities open that dam.  That gave rise to the commencement of the construction of the Dasin Hausa Dam in Adamawa State which is said to be two times the size of Lagdo Dam. The Dasin Hausa Dam which is meant to serve as a form of shock absorber to flood in Nigeria is yet to be completed since 1982.  What has been done in this regard since last year?
At the peak of last year’s flood, the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management, Sadiya Farouq, told newsmen in Abuja that the excess water released by Cameroonian authorities from the country’s Lagdo Dam compounded the flooding in Nigeria and that her ministry would initiate bilateral talks with the Cameroonians in November on the periodic opening of Lagdo dam. Has this been done? What is the outcome? Similarly, President Mohammadu Buhari, within the same period, ordered the Minister of Water Resources to give him a prevention plan on flood in 90 days. It has been more than 90 days since then, has the minister complied with the order? Is the plan being implemented? As the NiMET boss stated, the essence of the weather predictions is for the government at all levels, farmers and even individuals to be guided in their planning process so as to reduce the risk of disaster. The predictions are supposed to guide the appropriate authorities to either avert the problem or mitigate the impact.
Apparently, flooding is not peculiar to Nigeria. It is a global problem which experts say is majorly caused by climate change, which has been shown to contribute to more extreme storms and rainfall. Some have also attributed the problem to rapid urban growth, poor planning and uncontrolled development, indiscriminate disposal of waste, poor drainage system and lots more. but the difference is that while many countries prioritise these environmental challenges and seek timely and lasting solutions to them, ours are more concerned about politics and their selfish gains and pay little or no attention to environmental issues. It is therefore high time, both federal, state governments and the appropriate ministries, parastatals and regulatory agencies sat up and took their responsibilities seriously towards the betterment of our environment. They should ensure strict adherence to the development plans, dredge the major rivers in the country, and implement other good and realistic suggestions of environmental experts.
However, the desired result cannot be achieved without the collaborative effort of the citizens who must desist from dumping refuse indiscriminately, particularly in water channels and erecting structures on water ways. As the rains are almost here, let us clean our drainages to make for easy passages of water. Let us help the government to help us.

By: Calista Ezeaku