1. NIGERIA AT 52 OF POST-COLONIALISM: VALUING THE COST
OF ENVIRONMENTAL DEGRADATION, FLOOD AND BAD
GOVERNANCE
Dr. (Mrs) Rose N. Nwankwo1,Udochukwu A.O Ogbaji2 and Cosmas M.Uchime3
1
Department of Public Administration,
Federal Polytechnic, Oko.
Anambra State. Nigeria.
Email: rosenwankwo@gmail.com. Phone: +2348033352793
2
Federal Polytechnic, Oko.
Anambra State. Nigeria.
Email: udojoel77@yahoo.ca Phone: +2348033486531
3
Diamond Bank PLC.
Nnewi Branch,
Anambra State. Nigeria
Abstract
It would be recalled that Lagdo Dam in northern Cameroon released water on Saturday, 26th of
August 2012 which led to flooding that submerged several settlements in Northern, Eastern and
Southern Nigeria. Nothing can better describe the condition of Anambra and Delta riverine
communities than anguish, pain and poverty. These resulted from flooding when the River Niger
overflowed its banks. Many communities in some local government areas of these states have
been at the mercy of flooding and erosion and other ecological disasters since the beginning of
the rainy season. Regardless of the fact that the rains may have subsided, no fewer than 25
million Nigerians living along coastal communities of Rivers, Niger, Benue, Sokoto, Katsina
Lagos, Ondo, Delta, Rivers, Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa and Cross River states in Nigeria may be
threatened by displacement and devastation before the end of the year. There are numerous
environmental problems that plague different parts of the world in the face of climate change.
These range from pollution, earthquake, landslide, tsunami, hailstorm, heat wave, deforestation,
indiscriminate bush burning, natural wildfire, desertification, climate change, rain and
windstorms, flood, volcanicity, drought and erosion among others. These natural disasters are
caused by nature and despite man’s technological advancement and prodigious efforts to put a
stop to them, they still ravage his habitants killing him and destroying his property. It is on this
basis that this paper investigates the recent (flood) natural disaster in Nigeria and its
implications on the people of Nigeria. Through empirical findings, we measure the extent to
which the Federal and State governments’ interfered in making sure that the flood disaster does
not destroy lives and properties of Nigerians. We found that our government is not responsive to
the welfare of the people. We recommend, among others that for sustainable development,
2. disaster prevention and risk management, environmental monitoring, early warning and
preparedness are key factors never to be ignored by the Nigerian government in particular and
global environmental management agencies in general. Good and practicable environment
policies should also be formulated by our policy makers.
Keywords: Flood, Natural disaster, property, risk management, environmental policy.
