NIGERIA AT 52 OF POST-COLONIALISM: VALUING THE COST

OF ENVIRONMENTAL DEGRADATION, FLOOD AND BAD

GOVERNANCE

Dr. (Mrs) Rose N. Nwankwo1,Udochukwu A.O Ogbaji

2 and Cosmas M.Uchime

3

1Department 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

3Diamond 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,

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.