By Dr Muhtari Aminu-Kano, Director General of Nigerian Conservation Foundation
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I think a number of factors have been contributing to flooding in recent times but the key one is really lack of planning by the authorities and the attitude of Nigerians. These are the two main things. Why did I say lack of planning? We know the rains are coming; it is true that it has been higher due to climate change. More rain does not necessarily mean more flooding and even if it leads to flooding, it should not necessarily mean washing off properties, affecting people’s lives and income.
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So a multiplicity of factors is responsible for what is happening now. Climate change brings out more rains than usual but our lack of planning and preparation also contributes. Also, we are clearing and sand filling marshy and wetlands which used to regulate floods; we are filling them with concrete but water must find its level.
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We need to build adequate drains because those tiny surface drains won’t work. Look at Lekki, it used to be a marshy land soaking up water. Now, people just move in, sometimes they don’t even clear the land. They just sand fill it, compact it and in a few months, you see an estate spring up. And the only drain is a tiny ditch which is half a metre, which is supposed to carry water away. It doesn’t work like that.
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In the short term, non-governmental organisations with support from the government and the private sector need to do a lot of sensitisation and raising awareness for people to understand the dangers of blocking the drains by dumping refuse in them. But beyond that we really need advocates to ask the government to do proper drainage assessment of the whole city and construct adequate drains needed to drain Lagos properly.
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