The Executive Director of the Human and Environmental Development Agenda (HEDA), Suleiman Arigbabu, has raised alarm over increasing national flood risks following a recent alert by the Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency (NIHSA). He issued the warning during an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Sunday in Lagos. Arigbabu noted that NIHSA's flood forecasts have maintained over 80 percent accuracy in recent years, aligning with observed patterns. He linked the growing flood threat to climate change and human activities, particularly the rise in rainfall intensity and frequency that causes rivers to overflow. Urban flooding, he said, is worsened by poor drainage systems and weak flood management infrastructure. Indiscriminate waste disposal in cities like Lagos and Port Harcourt continues to clog drainage channels, increasing flood vulnerability. Arigbabu highlighted the destruction of wetlands, which naturally absorb excess water, and deforestation, which diminishes the land's capacity to regulate water flow. He also pointed to the failure to desilt dams and drainage systems, reducing their effectiveness even during moderate rainfall. Arigbabu called on both government and citizens to adjust their attitudes and practices to mitigate flooding and its consequences.
Suleiman Arigbabu points to 80 percent accurate flood forecasts yet sees no action from agencies that ignore them year after year. Lagos and Port Harcourt residents keep dumping waste into drains, knowing full well the rains will come and the water will rise. The same cities face floods annually, yet no enforcement stops the blockage of channels or the destruction of wetlands. When the water recedes, the promises vanish too.
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