One year after deadly floods devastated Maiduguri, residents are bracing for a possible repeat disaster as the rainy season intensifies in northeastern Nigeria.
The 2024 floods, triggered by torrential rain and the collapse of the Alau dam, killed at least 37 people, displaced over two million, and destroyed homes, farms, and businesses across the Borno State capital.
Despite government intervention and aid efforts, many survivors remain in makeshift shelters, struggling with hunger, joblessness, and emotional trauma.
Victims like Sa’adatu Dahiru, who lost her two-year-old son during the flood, say they have received minimal support since the initial N10,000 ($7) payout.
“We’re still waiting, still suffering,” she told the BBC, adding that promises of further assistance have not materialised.
The Borno State government insists it has provided aid—including food, cash, and temporary shelters—and launched reconstruction of the failed Alau dam.
However, officials say security challenges posed by Boko Haram insurgents near the dam have long hampered maintenance.
“The dam is just 4km from the Sambisa forest,” said Mohammed Shettima of the Chad Basin Development Authority.
“When the rains came last year, the worn-out dykes collapsed and unleashed massive flooding.”
Recent attacks near the dam—where two soldiers and four security agents were killed—underscore ongoing risks in the region.
Among the displaced is Maryam Jidda, a 72-year-old grandmother who fled Boko Haram violence in Damboa only to lose her home again to floods in Maiduguri.
“I stood in waist-deep water, crying,” she recalled. Now, she lives in a shelter with no clean water or food, and mourns the loss of her family’s possessions and memories.
Young people like 21-year-old Ali Kadau have also been hit hard.
The floods destroyed his home and mechanic workshop.
“Now I just sit around. No job. No school. Sometimes I push wheelbarrows in the market to eat,” he said.
Governor Babagana Umara Zulum acknowledged the enormous task of responding to the disaster while managing the humanitarian fallout of 16 years of violent extremism.
“Finding shelter for two million flood victims in a city already housing over one million IDPs was extremely difficult,” he said.
According to government reports, over ₦28.2 billion ($18 million) was mobilised from federal, state, and international agencies, reaching more than 100,000 households.
Support included cash grants to traders, aid to religious centres and schools, and the desilting of rivers to prevent further overflow.
Still, Borno State is seeking an additional ₦61 billion for infrastructure rebuilding, including roads, bridges, and hospitals—though approval may not come without another emergency.
Some borehole upgrades have begun to address ongoing water shortages, but for survivors like Dahiru and Jidda, the fear of another flood and the slow pace of recovery overshadow any sense of hope.
“How do I start again when I have nothing?” Dahiru asked.
“There’s nothing left but memories and pain,” added Jidda.
BBC
