Flood: States yet to invest ecological funds in projects despite vulnerability

• Fear grips South South states over looming incidents
• ‘More scrutiny, innovative climate financing needed in states’
• ‘Ecological fund, a conduit pipe for corruption’

Despite huge yearly ecological funds allocation to states, flooding triggered by unprecedented rainfall and dysfunctional dams has continued to wreak havoc on citizens, and properties.

With increasing incidents, there have been renewed calls for proper scrutiny of how resources disbursed to mitigate climate disasters are expended and the need to develop flood risk management programmes.

Under Nigeria’s federal revenue allocation formula, 2.32 per cent of derivation funds are set aside for ecology and disaster management. The 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory get 0.72 per cent; the 774 councils allocated 0.6 per cent, adding to 1.32 per cent, leaving a balance of one per cent to the Federal government.

The fund is designated to address environmental challenges like erosion, desertification, flooding, oil spills, and drought. Through the prevailing law in the country, the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) takes about 20 per cent of the amount allocated to the Federal Government.

The North East Development Commission collects 10 per cent, the National Agricultural Land Development Authority gets 10 per cent, and National Agency for the Great Green Wall, collects 0.5 per cent, leaving 0.55 of the one per cent to the Federal government for ecological protection and disaster management.

In 2023, about 2.2 per cent of the N21 trillion the year’s budget, amounting to N462 billion was allocated for the Ecological Fund. According to data from the Federation Account Allocation Committee published by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), the 36 states received a total sum of N39.62b as ecological fund allocations from June 2023 to June 2024.

From the disbursement, Kano State received the highest allocation, totalling N2.1b, averaging N175m per month. Borno State got N1.68b, averaging N140m per month as the second-highest allocation, followed by Lagos with N1.81b, Kaduna with N1.4b and Sokoto with N1.49b. The states with the lowest allocations include Kwara, receiving N602.3m, Bayelsa with N598.79m, and Ondo with N629.42m, Edo received N632.8m and Abia received N633.68m.

Also, Enugu received N1.36bn for its ecological interventions, Adamawa received N1.24bn to address issues such as erosion and flooding, Anambra was allocated N1.35bn, Benue got N758.97m, and Cross River received N680 million.

Further analysis from the NBS revealed that six South-West states received N4.03 billion from the Federal Government’s ecological fund, which was disbursed by the Federal Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) to tackle environmental issues in the first half of 2024. The money was part of the N24.91b allocated to all 36 states of the federation during the period.

A report by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) further showed that Lagos received the highest share of the ecological fund in the South-West region, amounting to N880.19 million. Oyo State got N736.94 million, while Ondo and Ogun States received N611.64 million and N610.43 million.

The Osun State received N599.24 million, and Ekiti State got N587.49 million. The North-West region received the highest ecological fund allocation in the first half of 2024, totalling N5.52 billion, followed by the North-East with N4.16 billion.

The North-Central region got N4.12 billion, while the South-South and South-East regions received N3.89 billion and N3.20 billion respectively. Kano State topped the list of recipients with an allocation of N1.04 billion, making it the highest recipient of ecological funds in the first half of the year.

Kaduna (N860.88 million), Borno (N816.34 million), Katsina (N807.67 million), Bauchi (N785.93 million), and Niger (N778.29 million) ranked in the order of states with the highest allocation in the first six months of 2024.

While some of the states draw these funds, the impact of its use in respective locations is not largely seen as residents are left helpless anytime there are fatal floods. Others are not already drawing up the funds to tackle the current emergency, making disaster impact worse for residents in respective states.

For instance, out of the N816.34 million from the Ecological Fund received by the Borno government between January and June 2024, the government only spent N20 million on flood controls in the first half of 2024, representing just 2.45per cent of the total ecological allocation.

The government in its 2024 revised budget allocated about N1.65 billion for flood control but the funds are yet to be deployed to tackle environmental challenges. Other states are also underfunding flood mitigation; adaptation, preparedness and response are generally not proactive in disaster management.

However, only few states can be associated with tangible projects. For instance, Lagos focused on structural measures including building waterways and drainage systems, helping after natural disasters, and improving public awareness to deter people from building on drainage channels and disposing of waste into drainage channels.

The government said since the last quarter of 2023, it has escalated preparations for the rainy season by identifying various drainage channels and canals across that need dredging, cleaning, redesigning, and reconstruction to prevent impending flooding.

The government has also begun construction on a five-kilometre system of 44 drainage channels along Mobil Road, Ogombo, and Ikota, aimed at controlling flooding in the Lekki axis.

The Lagos State Commissioner of Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, said that the construction of the drainage channels demonstrates the government’s readiness and commitment to address flooding that affects communities across the state. The initiative includes realignment and reclaiming the six-meter setbacks on both sides of System 156 and System 157 channels.

Also, Ekiti State Government has expended a sum of N475, 207,920.01 in the last 18 months on the dredging waterways and desiltation of drains and gutters to ensure efficient passage of water through the system among other measures.

Commissioner for Information, Taiwo Olatunbosun, who disclosed this recently at a tour of environmental projects in Ado-Ekiti, said the government’s proactive move had culminated in the removal of all impediments in waterways and allowed free flow, which has significantly reduced the risk of disaster in flood-prone areas.

In response to the ecological crisis facing the state, the Kogi State Government said it has taken a significant step by providing compensation to more than 700 individuals affected by the Ankpa gully erosion project.

The State Governor, Ahmed Usman Ododo who spoke through the Commissioner for Environment and Ecological Management, Joseph Oluwasegun, reiterated the administration’s dedication to environmental sustainability.

With the recent flooding in Borno State, there is palpable fear and apprehension in the South-South region, which was among the worst-hit regions in the country.

Currently, in Rivers State, over 20 communities in the state have been displaced by floods; some of the affected communities in Oyigbo West include Umuodina, Umuobiri, Umuokwito, Umuokobo and Umuwari.

Also, parts of Ahoada West, Ahaoda East, Abual/Odua are suffering from heavy flooding. Some residents in Rumuekini, Rumuduru along Eneka/Igwuruta road are planning to vacate their homes to avoid being trapped in the flood.

Already, the state government has established a flood Prevention and Management Committee, led by the Deputy Governor, Prof Ngozi Odu.In Bayelsa, the situation has been worsened by poor town planning, lack of good drains and building on natural water courses. Local councils prone to flooding are the Southern Ijaws, Ogbia, Yenagoa, Kolokuma/Opokuma, Nembe, Sagbama and Ekeremor. Also, Cemetery, Azikoro, Ekeki, Amarata, Swali, Ovom, kpansia, and Okaka are in the state capital.

Governor Douye Diri, who promised to conduct a comprehensive drainage plan in the state capital, urged the Federal Government to build dams and dredge rivers. He explained that the major river channels had become shallow and required dredging to increase their water-carrying capacity.

The state government also directed its directorate for flood and erosion control to begin the process of identifying higher grounds for flood relief camps across the state and identify structures built on natural canals within the Yenagoa metropolis for possible demolition.

The Deputy Governor, Lawrence Ehwrujakpo, handed over the directives at a meeting with the Director-General and directors of the Bayelsa State Directorate of Flood and Erosion Control (BYSDFEC) and local government chairmen and their rural development authority (RDA) counterparts.

Ehwrujakpo who frowned on the practice of building houses and other structures across natural water canals, especially in the state capital, assured that the present administration was poised to implement the state Physical Planning and Development Act 2000.

In Cross River State, 12 out of the 18 local councils are prone to flooding. They’re located at Calabar South, Calabar Municipality, Abi, Akpabuyo, Bakassi, Biase, Yakurr, Ogoja, Ikom, Obubra, Etung and Odukpani councils.

Some of the blocked drainage channels, especially in Calabar South and Calabar Municipal were reconstructed to allow free flow of water. The water channels are located at Watt Market, Atu by Abatim Street and Charmely by Edgerly in Calabar south.

The Director General of Cross River State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), Mr James Anan, told The Guardian, the said following the 2024 prediction, the state has taken mitigation steps.

He said apart from the usual sensitisation programme across the three senatorial districts, precaution measures undertaken are the reconstruction of blocked drainage channels and removal of sand from gutters.

Experts said the governance of flood and disaster risks could be improved through stakeholders’ scrutiny of how resources allocated to states are expended and accounted for, as well as needs assessments, more community participation, and better coordination between government agencies and non-governmental organisations.

An environmentalist, Folake Salawu, said the ecological fund from its inception has always been a conduit pipe for corruption. Salawu pointed out that climate change and environmental disasters are considered as non-tangible things and oftentimes leaders and society talk about them without concrete effort to prevent impacts.

Salawu, who doubles as the coordinator, Green Recovery Project of the Nigerian Conservation Foundation (NCF) said funds for climate change are not channelled to adaptation and mitigation activities.

Salawu said the flooding challenge is worsened by a lack of preparedness because climate change and associated impacts have come to stay but the ability to adapt properly will prevent the loss of lives and properties yearly.

Africa Regional Coordinator, Citizen Climate International, Dr Michael David, explained that this year’s flood incidents exposed Nigeria’s vulnerability to climate change, and showed that no resilient infrastructure was built by the Federal and state governments. He said that if the funds budgeted for ecological funds were well deployed, the flood incidents would be less.

According to him, what the government needs is proper disaster risk reduction, which must involve planning, identifying vulnerable areas in states and the possibility of building water retaining walls along the coasts, relocation of residents and building/proper channelling of drainages.

Environmental sustainability expert, Mr Gboyegba Olorunfemi, argued that flooding in Nigeria and the attendant yearly resurgence needs close attention through assessment of the incidents and possible causes.

“The states should think of innovative ways to attract funding to provide support for climate change-related challenges. Transparency is the bedrock for attracting blended finance for climate change mitigation and adaptation. States must be ready to meet these criteria,” he said.