Flooding and Poor Shoreline Protection in Coastal Communities: Urgent Need for Legislative Actions in Resolving Ecological Challenge in Nigeria
Working Paper
Flooding has been a recurring ecological problem in Nigeria with attendant consequences of fatalities, injuries, displacements and other impact on infrastructural damage, agricultural loses as well other health hazards. Most recently in Niger state, on May 28, 2025, the country experienced, yet again, a catastrophic flooding, in the town of Mokwa, resulting in over 200 fatalities, and over 3,000 homes submerged. The disastrous flooding saw to the destruction of critical infrastructure situated within the town. The disaster, was majorly caused by heavy rainfall and the collapse of a nearby dam. This underscores the pressing need for climate-responsive governance in Nigeria. Despite prior warnings from the Nigerian Metrological Agency (NiMet) about potential flash floods due to high intensity rainfall, poor planning and inadequate preparedness, as well as infrastructure resilience contributed to the severity of the impact. To address the worsening incidence of flooding in the country, this brief hereby recommends as follows: i. The National Assembly (NASS) may wish to organise an interactive session with Ecological Fund Office to review readiness plans for evacuating high risk communities within the coastal region to safety zones; ii. NASS may also wish to review the Ecological Fund Act 2002, by removing the responsibility manage ecological funds from the presidency (OSGF) and give it to the ministry of environment; iii. NASS may wish to strengthen infrastructure resilience by mandating regular assessments and reinforcement of critical infrastructure, including dams, bridges, and drainage systems, to withstand extreme weather events; and iv. The National Assembly may advise the Federal Ministry of Environment on the need for effective implementation of the Flood Risk Management (FRM) plan in Nigeria.