By Fatima Saka
The recent flooding in Nigeria has generated so much blames from the government’s negligence, rising water level, human activities, and the Lagdo dam in Cameroon and has led to negative impact in the environment and its dwellers.
This further escalated to the negligence of the Nigeria government which has caused dilapidated problems to lives and properties.
Findings, have shown that, the dam that is causing these menace in Nigeria is a Cameroonian dam, which was built in 1977, in an agreement between the Nigerian and the Cameroonian governments.
It was agreed that when the dam was under construction, that Nigerian is going to build a counterpart of the dam called; “Dadin Hausa Dam” in Adamawa state. This dam was supposed to be twice the size of the Lagdo dam, to manage the spill of the water from the dam.
While speaking NatureNews, Senator Mohammed Sani Musa, representing Niger East Senatorial district, gave an in-depth analysis of the government not planning ahead.
Senator Musa said that the consequences of climate change that has been confronting countries in other climes, has come to Nigeria. Adding that, “We have a problem in this country, we do not plan ahead”.
According to him, Nigeria is a signatory to most of the treaties on climate change, giving an instance of the recent Paris conventions, that Nigeria was in attendance.
He added that coming back home from the convention, Nigeria is supposed to initiate a roadmap whereby the country can even preserve water.
“How do we do it? Nigeria is supposed to prepare an intervention that should foresee flooding. If adequate arrangements were made, in this period of flooding the management would have continued production by improving our irrigation system.
“We don’t preserve water in this country.
“Nigeria needs to build more dams, even the Usuma Lower Dam. It is pathetic to see the circumstances surrounding the dam, and considering the fact that it is one major dam that provides water to Abuja.
“And In the next 10 years, water will be a serious issue. So we need to start conserving and we need to start working on a roadmap that will give this country a direction like any other country,” he stated.
Also, with Nature News.africa, Dr. Tobi Oluwatola, Executive Director, Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development (CJID) shows dissatisfaction with the Nigerian government strategies for fast intervention towards climate change.
The Executive Director of CJID, said that Climate change is a phenomenon that has been with us for a while. Adding that over the last 200 years, human activities since the inception of the Industrial Revolution, has exhibited so much change in global temperatures and this has several effects.
Speaking further, Dr. Tobi lamented that Nigerians have started to feel some of the impact of Climate change already. Adding that the severe flooding across the country has killed more than 700 people, displaced more than 1.3 million and submerged more than 700,000.
“And every year, global leaders come together to negotiate on how to solve the problem”.
“And for no reason the African continent has been out of the conversation, because Africa doesn’t contribute much to climate change.
“Global emissions contribute less than 10% and nine out of 10 countries are going to suffer the worst effects in Africa”.
“Nigeria needs to be at table, negotiating to make sure that the livelihoods of those farmers – many of them are women, about 70% of Nigeria as far as the livelihoods of those farmers who are losing their farmlands and homes to droughts and floods – are restored and someone needs to look after those people.
In addition, he revealed that NiMet has said these flood events will continue up till November, giving possible solutions to tackle the devastating occurrences.
“What Nigeria needs right now is early warning and support for the people that are affected by floods and provide ways of escape.
“If you are telling someone that this house is going to be flooded, you need to provide them with an alternative place to go”
“Secondly, the government needs to do something about the devastation that has occurred”.
“The government needs to factor ways to create more dams by providing an infrastructure to reduce the challenge of what needs to be restored and what has been destroyed”.
“Africa is not prepared for the effects of climate change, Nigeria in particular”.
“Clearing up the drainage systems is essential”.
“Another cause of the flooding was a result of the spill from Cameroon dam which overflowed”.
“While there was agreement between Nigeria and Cameron when the dam was built, Nigeria would have built its own dam, since 1982, but till date Nigeria still hasn’t built that dam”.
“So those types of dam infrastructure, drainage infrastructure, and coastal reinforcement infrastructure needs to be built to prevent future occurrences such as these floods”.
“And Nigeria needs to start making these investments immediately,” Executive Director CJID.