The Foundation for Environmental Rights, Advocacy and Development (FENRAD), an Environmental Rights Advocacy Organisation, has expressed deep concern over the recent and ongoing release of water from major dams by neighbouring African countries, which poses a serious flooding threat to Nigeria’s coastal and low-lying states.
The Executive Director of FENRAD, Comrade Nelson Nnanna Nwafor, said that this alarming situation, coupled with the increasing impacts of climate change, calls for immediate coordinated action from both federal and state governments, as well as local communities.
According to him, in recent years, Nigeria has witnessed devastating floods resulting from dam discharges, poor drainage infrastructure, and extreme weather patterns driven by climate change.
These floods, said Nwafor, have displaced thousands, destroyed farmlands, and disrupted livelihoods, especially in states like Kogi, Anambra, Bayelsa, Rivers, Delta, and parts of the South East and South West regions.
He stressed: “FENRAD warns that unless adequate preparedness measures are urgently put in place, this year’s flooding could be even more catastrophic. FENRAD also ceases this medium to call on the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), State Emergency Agencies, and all relevant government institutions to activate early warning systems, intensify public sensitisation, and implement disaster preparedness plans.
“Communities at risk must be engaged and supported with evacuation plans and flood mitigation strategies. Additionally, we urge regional cooperation and diplomatic engagement with neighbouring countries to ensure coordinated dam management practices that minimise downstream impacts.
FENRAD appeals to the Federal and State governments to prioritise long-term climate adaptation measures, including the completion of the Dasin Hausa Dam, improvement of Nigeria’s drainage infrastructure, and the mainstreaming of climate resilience into development planning. Climate change is real, and its impacts are no longer distant threats—they are crises unfolding before our eyes.”
