By Abdullahi Lukman
The President of the Association of Environmental Protection and Climate Change Practitioners, Akugbe Iyamu, has urged the Nigerian government to establish structured, state-led evacuation and shelter systems to better manage the growing impact of flooding across the country.
Speaking on Arise News Channel, Iyamu said Nigeria can no longer depend on reactive disaster responses, noting that flood-prone areas are already well known and documented through existing risk assessments.
He argued that evacuation planning should be proactive and centrally coordinated, stressing that authorities already possess data identifying high-risk communities across multiple states.
Iyamu also warned against leaving evacuation decisions to individuals, saying uncoordinated movement often increases vulnerability and leads to avoidable loss of lives.
He criticised the current management of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), describing it as inefficient and lacking long-term structure.
According to him, displaced populations require clear “durable solutions,” including return to ancestral homes, resettlement in new locations, or integration into existing communities.
The expert further called for disaster response to be fully integrated into governance planning rather than treated as temporary emergency spending, adding that climate risks demand sustained and structured policy action.
He stressed that relocation programmes must be time-bound and properly managed, warning that IDP camps should not become permanent settlements, with some displaced persons reportedly staying in camps for years without clear resettlement plans.
