This year’s floods are the worst we’ve seen in years!
In the last few weeks, some states in Nigeria have been going through crises because of flooding. The flood situation initially started in the Northern part of Nigeria and it has now gradually spread to the South-South. If care isn’t taken could potentially spread to the South-East also.
As far as we know, the genesis of the flooding issue was a Cameroonian dam called Lagdo dam. Apparently, when the dam was built years ago, Cameroon had an agreement with Nigeria to build another dam on her side. The dam on Nigeria’s side would cushion the effect of the water anytime the Lagdo dam is opened and also provide a certain amount of electricity and irrigation for the states around. Unfortunately, our leaders failed us and that proposed dam project was abandoned.
What is interesting is that Cameroon informs Nigeria anytime the Lagdo dam is about to be opened but Nigeria has nothing on the other side to stop the water. The effect of the released water this year has been devastating, to say the least. Millions of people have been displaced from their homes, farmlands destroyed and lives have been lost.
The Nigerian government is doing next to nothing concerning the issue and the part nobody is talking about is the devastating consequences this flood will have on the economy. The flood is affecting states where various food products and livestock that are meant to serve the nation come from and if that continues, there will be food scarcity and ridiculous hikes in the prices of food products and livestock.
Today, Nigeria’s Liquified Natural Gas company (NLNG) has declared a force majeure, saying that it cannot supply Liquid Natural Gas to customers it has contracts with due to the flood. Although the company hasn’t been operating at full capacity since last year, the flood this year has succeeded in grounding its production completely.
The NLNG supplies 40 per cent of the gas most Nigerians use for cooking in their homes and with their production shut down, a gas crisis is on the horizon for Nigerians. The NLNG also supplies gas to electricity generation companies and with their production affected that means a lower gas supply. Lower gas supply will result in lower generation capacity, fewer electricity hours, and more frequent grid collapses than we have had before.
At this point, it’s starting to feel like a tv show called “A series of unfortunate events” and Nigerians should prepare for the coming weeks.
#STATEAFFAIRS is a segment that gives you a quick rundown of various political and state issues as they happen in the most simple, subtle language. In this edition, we are looking at the massive flood rocking various Nigerian states.
