Flood alerts deepen food security crisis as states fail to account for ecological funds

By Abdullahi Lukman

As flash floods threaten over 20 Nigerian states this July, environmental researchers and civil society groups are sounding the alarm over worsening food insecurity and the chronic mismanagement of ecological funds meant to prevent such disasters.

The Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) has issued its monthly flood risk alert, naming high-risk areas including Lagos, Benue, Sokoto, Edo, Taraba, and Akwa Ibom.

The warning follows days of heavy rainfall and flash flooding in parts of Ondo State, where communities across Owo, Ilaje, and Okitipupa have been submerged, with homes and bridges swept away.

These recurring disasters raise deeper questions about governance. Despite the disbursement of over ₦622 billion in ecological funds to the 36 states between 2012 and 2025, many communities remain unprotected from the effects of extreme weather events.

“These floods are not just natural disasters—they are failures of planning and oversight,” said Afolabi Abiodun, President of the Africa Environmental Health Organisation.

“We don’t see the impact of these billions. Year after year, the same communities are left to drown.”

A June 2025 report by SBM Intelligence revealed that since July 2024, floods have affected 31 out of Nigeria’s 36 states, displacing over 1.2 million people and destroying more than 180,000 hectares of farmland.

The report underscores a growing food security threat, particularly in agricultural heartlands such as the Middle Belt and the Niger Delta.

NiMet and the National Emergency Management Agency continue to issue warnings.

However, without visible infrastructure investments—such as drainage systems, buffer dams, or emergency shelters—those alerts often come too late.

In Niger State, the recent flooding in Mokwa town led to multiple deaths and widespread displacement.

Residents say it is the worst flood in 60 years. In Zamfara alone, May 2025 floods displaced over 58,000 people.

Lagos, Kwara, and Bayelsa also reported thousands affected.

Environmentalists point to a troubling pattern: while the Ecological Fund is consistently allocated, the outcomes remain largely invisible.

Set up in 1981, the fund draws 2% of federal revenue to address challenges like flooding, erosion, and desertification.

It is managed by the Ecological Fund Office under the Secretary to the Government of the Federation.

However, a lack of transparency continues to plague the fund’s effectiveness.

“There’s no consistent system to track how the money is spent at the state level,” said climate adaptation researcher Abeeb Ajagbe.

“We see drainage projects started and abandoned, shoreline protection works left incomplete, and early warning systems that never materialize.”

Critics are also calling attention to poor inter-agency coordination and the marginalization of local voices in planning.

They argue that flood control cannot be treated as an afterthought—or solely a federal responsibility.

Ondo State Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa recently announced dredging projects to clear waterways, but experts warn that piecemeal interventions are not enough.

“We need data-driven urban planning, strict enforcement of environmental regulations, and independent audits of ecological spending,” said sustainability expert Hakeem Mukhtar.

“Otherwise, the flood alerts will keep coming, and people will keep dying.”

Meanwhile, a long-standing dam agreement between Nigeria and Cameroon remains unfulfilled.

Nathaniel Atebije, past president of the Nigerian Institute of Town Planners, said the failure to build a mid-level dam along the River Benue continues to expose downstream communities to preventable flood risks.

“The floods destroy lives, farmland, and infrastructure every year—and the government has yet to honor its commitment,” he said.

With climate change accelerating rainfall intensity and sea-level rise, Nigeria’s vulnerability to flooding will only increase.

Environmental advocates warn that unless transparency, coordination, and long-term planning are prioritized, ecological funds will continue to be spent without delivering environmental justice.