Natural disasters in Nigeria are mainly related to the climate of Nigeria, which has been reported to cause loss of lives and properties. A natural disaster might be caused by flooding, landslides, and insect infestation, among others. To be classified as a disaster, there needs to be a profound environmental effect or human loss and must lead to financial loss. This occurrence has become an issue of concern, threatening large populations living in diverse environments in recent years.
Nigeria has encountered several forms of disaster, which range from flooding, soil and coastal erosion, landslides, tidal waves, coastal erosion, sand-storms, oil spillage, locust/insect infestations, and other man-made disasters. It can be said that the country's under protected and expansive environment contributed to making the people especially vulnerable to these disasters. Other dangers include northern dust storms, which is usually from northern states to southern; causing damages through large deposits of dust and dirt from these regions. Hail is another cause, which rarely occurs in parts of Nigeria, leading to damage of crops and properties.[1][2]
The drought of 1972 and 1973 was attributed to the death of 13% of animals in the north-eastern Nigeria and an annual agricultural yield loss of more than 50%.[3]
The rainfall trend between 1960 and 1990 in northeast Nigeria has steadily declined by about 8 mm/year.[4]
Nigeria's most recent drought was between 1991 and 1995.[4]
Rainfall in northeastern Nigeria between the period 1994 to 2004 shows that the total annual rainfall range from 500 to over 1000 mm.[4]
Drought problem is accelerating desertification: 63.83% of total land is impinge on by desertification. [5]
Flood
Recurrent flood in different parts of Nigeria had led to considerable socio-economic damage, injury and loss of life. Some of the negative consequences of flood include loss of human life, damage to properties, public transportation systems, power supply, crops, and livestock.[6]
In August, a flood happened in Adamawa state, affecting 79 communities in 16 local government areas. Reports says that seven people lost their lives and about 74,713 others displaced became homeless;[7][8] While 150 farmlands and about 66 houses were destroyed according to Adamawa state Emergency Management Agency (ADSEMA).[9]
2020
In 2020, 68 people died and 129,000 people were displaced due to the 2020 flood incidences. This is according to the NEMA Director-General, Muhammadu Muhammed.[10][11]
2017
The 2017 Benue State flooding took place in September 2017 in Central Nigeria.[12] Weeks of rainfall led to flash floods, discharges and river flowing in Benue State. It displaced 100,000 people,[13][14] and damaged around 2,000 homes.[15]
Around 1000 residents of Lagos and Ogun states region of Nigeria were displaced due to flood associated with heavy rainfalls, which was further exacerbated by the release of water from the Oyan Dam into the Ogun River[16]
About 250,000 Nigerians were affected by the flooding in 2016, while 92,000 were affected in 2017[17]
2023
On 3 March 2023, there was a heavy downpour and rainstorm in Oke-Ako in the Ikole Local Government Area of Ekiti State. The situation lasted for over two hours and destroyed about 105 houses. The heavy downpour of rain also destroyed some electricity infrastructure across the town, subjecting the residents to total blackout.[18]
The Ekiti State governor, Mr. Biodun Oyebanji, through his deputy Mrs. Monisade Afuye, described the incidents as devastating and assured the victims that government would give all the necessary support to mitigate whatever effect this situation must have caused them.
[19]
Emergency management
National Emergency Relief Agency (NERA)
The National Emergency Relief Agency (NERA) was created by Decree 48 of 1976 in response to a devastating flood incidence between 1972 and 1973.[20][21] NERA was a post disaster management agency with sole focus on coordination and distribution of relief material to disaster victims.[21][3]
National Disaster Management Framework of Nigeria(NDMF)
The National Disaster Management Framework of Nigeria (NDMF) framework was created in 2010 to serve as legal instruments to guide stakeholders' engagement with respect disaster management in Nigeria.[22] It was created to foster effective and efficient disaster management among Federal, State and Local Governments, Civil Society Organizations and the private sector. NDMF has 7 focus areas and a sufficiency criteria, namely:
↑Olagunju, T. E. (2015). Drought, desertification and the Nigerian environment: A review. Journal of Ecology and the Natural Environment, 7(7), 196-209.