Flooding in Nigeria: Preventing it is better than crying over it
First published in my column on naturenews.africa
Flooding has become an increasingly common and devastating issue in Nigeria and many parts of Africa. The recent floods in Northern Nigeria, caused by the collapse of a spillway at the Alau Dam near Maiduguri, have once again highlighted the vulnerability of the region to flood disasters. With over 112 million cubic liters of water stored in the Alau Dam, the breach not only endangered lives but also disrupted vital infrastructure and displaced entire communities.
A lot of people have blamed the flood on climate change, and I find that very funny. Why do we talk as if we are such an orderly country? Climate change may be a part of the causes of that disaster, but manmade disasters manifesting as poor maintenance culture is a huge part of it. Let’s pause and quit blaming climate change and ask ourselves, “If we had done what we were meant to do, would we have been able to mitigate this disaster?”
A professor of Geology from the University of Maiduguri told newsmen that the cause of the flood was a combination of high rainfall and the collapse of the spillways meant to channel the water. He further added that structures such as the Alau Dam need proper maintenance to avoid floods. A local also pinned the flood on a lack of infrastructure — this is exactly what it is. We are no strangers to the ‘ways’ of Nigeria. Just so I’m not accused of jealousy, a 2015 study published in the European Scientific Journal examined the problems of the Alau dam and found that the dam is not undergoing any form of monitoring to ensure as assessment of the damages it causes on yearly basis — Imagine that. Yet we want to absolutely pin the flood on innocent ‘climate change.’
To be honest, we all know that as climate change intensifies, infrastructures are bound to age — why has a solution not been in place for so long given the enormous socioeconomic costs of flooding? Well, enough of crying over flooding, there’s already enough water. Let’s talk about how we can prevent it in the future.
The first and foremost solution is clear — strengthening and modernizing dam infrastructure. One of the key lessons from the recent Alau Dam incident is the urgent need to strengthen and modernize Africa’s aging dam infrastructure. Many dams in Nigeria, including Alau, were constructed decades ago and may no longer meet the demands of a rapidly changing climate. The collapse of a spillway, as seen in Alau, is a symptom of infrastructural degradation.
To prevent future flooding, governments across Africa must prioritize regular maintenance, inspection, and upgrading of dams. This includes reinforcing spillways, embankments, and gates to withstand the increasing frequency of heavy rains. Nigeria, for instance, has several large dams along the Niger and Benue rivers that require urgent attention. In the 2012 floods, the release of water from Lagto Dam in Cameroon contributed to severe flooding downstream in Nigeria, killing more than 430 people and displacing over 566,000 people. All these devastations exclude the thousands of dollars’ worth of property that was destroyed. In the lower Benue River region alone, more than 10,000 homes were submerged for more than two weeks. Proactive measures such as retrofitting dams and using modern materials can help prevent similar disasters in the future.
Additionally, building new dams designed to regulate water flow, store excess rainwater, and generate electricity could provide dual benefits. Dams such as the Grand Renaissance Dam in Ethiopia, with a capacity of 74 billion cubic meters, demonstrate how modern infrastructure can both manage water resources and support economic development. Similar projects in Nigeria and other flood-prone regions of Africa can help reduce flooding risks and secure water supply during dry seasons.
Another critical strategy for flood prevention is the implementation of early warning systems. In many cases, the severity of flooding could be reduced if communities had adequate advance warning. According to the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), African countries face a “data gap” in monitoring and predicting extreme weather events. Between 1970 and 2021, Africa accounted for 35% of weather, climate, and water-related fatalities. Yet only 40% of the African population has access to early warning systems — the lowest rate of any region of the world. This lack of data hampers their ability to provide timely warnings to vulnerable populations.
Nigeria must invest in real-time flood forecasting systems that use satellite imagery, weather modelling, and river flow data to predict potential flood events. This technology can enable authorities to issue early warnings, allowing residents to evacuate and take precautions before the worst of the flood occurs. In Mozambique, for instance, the early warning system put in place before Cyclone Idai in 2019 helped save thousands of lives, even though the cyclone caused widespread flooding.
Governments in Africa can collaborate with international organizations such as the African Development Bank Group (AfDB) and the United Nations to build and scale these systems. With better technology and data-sharing capabilities, flood forecasting can become more accurate, giving people critical time to protect their homes and families.
A third point I’d like to mention is the challenges posed by urban flooding. Urban flooding is on the rise across growing cities in Africa, where inadequate drainage systems contribute to frequent waterlogging and flash floods. Lagos, Nigeria’s largest city, exemplifies this problem. Despite being a coastal megacity, Lagos struggles with outdated drainage systems, and the city’s rapid urbanization has worsened flood risks. You can read my last week’s article on housing urban planning here.
To address this, urban planners and engineers must redesign drainage systems in cities to handle larger volumes of water. This includes widening drainage channels, constructing retention basins, and ensuring regular maintenance of drainage networks. In addition, local governments should enforce strict regulations to prevent construction over natural floodplains and water channels. In recent years, poor planning and unregulated building have reduced the capacity of Lagos to absorb rainwater, leading to severe floods during the rainy season.
A successful example of modern urban drainage can be found in Tokyo, Japan, where the city built the G-Cans Project, an underground storm water management system and world’s largest underground flood water diversion facility. This large-scale drainage infrastructure prevents Tokyo’s low-lying areas from flooding during typhoons and heavy rainfall. African cities could adapt similar technologies to prevent urban flooding.
I will make this fourth point about deforestation and poor land management practices. These are also major contributors to flooding in many parts of Africa. Forests absorb rainwater, reduce runoff, and prevent soil erosion. Deforestation in Northern Nigeria has worsened flood risks, making communities vulnerable. Governments should promote reforestation, such as the Green Wall initiative, and adopt sustainable land-use practices like agroforestry and terracing, which help manage water flow and reduce flooding, as seen in Rwanda.
The role of floodplain management cannot be overemphasized yet it is often an overlooked aspect of flood prevention. Many African cities and towns have expanded into floodplains — low-lying areas naturally prone to flooding. Building homes, businesses, and infrastructure in these areas increases the damage caused by floods and puts lives at risk. In Nigeria, it has become a common thing for many real estate companies to use proximity to ocean as an incentive to sell.
Governments must enforce floodplain zoning laws that restrict construction in high-risk areas. Instead, floodplains can be used for agriculture, parks, or wetlands that can absorb excess water during heavy rains. In South Africa, authorities have designated floodplain areas as green spaces, reducing the risk of severe property damage while maintaining the ecological benefits of wetlands. In Nigeria, poor land-use planning has been a major factor in flood disasters. The floods of 2012, which displaced over 2 million people, were worsened by widespread development in flood-prone areas.
In addition to government action, community-based flood management initiatives are essential for enhancing local resilience in flood-prone areas. Empowering communities with knowledge and tools, such as elevating homes, using sandbags, or planting vegetation, can help mitigate risks. Successful models like Bangladesh’s Community-Based Flood Management (CBFM) project can be adapted for Africa, encouraging local involvement in flood preparedness and response.
Finally, to the elephant in the room — climate change. Climate change remains the overarching factor contributing to the increasing frequency and intensity of floods across Africa. Rising global temperatures lead to more extreme weather events, including heavier rainfall, more severe storms, and rising sea levels. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has warned that African countries will face worsening flood risks unless decisive action is taken to combat climate change.
Reducing carbon emissions is a long-term solution to mitigating the effects of climate change, but immediate adaptation strategies are also necessary. African governments should work together to strengthen climate resilience through regional cooperation. The African Union’s Climate Change and Resilient Development Strategy and Action Plan, launched in 2022, is a step in the right direction, but it must be fully implemented to be effective. Countries like Kenya and Ethiopia have already made significant investments in renewable energy, reforestation, and climate-smart agriculture, which can reduce vulnerability to floods. These efforts should be expanded across the continent to build resilience against climate change.
In conclusion, the recent flood disaster in Northern Nigeria, caused by the collapse of the Alau Dam spillway, is a stark reminder of the urgent need for action to prevent future floods. Nigeria and Africa at large must implement a range of strategies to address the root causes of flooding and protect vulnerable communities.
Strengthening dam infrastructure, improving early warning systems, upgrading urban drainage, promoting reforestation, enforcing floodplain zoning, encouraging community involvement, and addressing climate change are all crucial steps toward reducing flood risks. The socioeconomic costs of flooding are too high to ignore, and with decisive action, African countries can build a future that is more resilient to the growing threat of floods. Only through a combination of these strategies can Africa hope to prevent the catastrophic consequences of future flood events.
