Flooding in Nigeria: An Assessment of the Laws and Institutions

Flooding has almost become an annual occurrence in Nigeria, with the intensity increasing yearly. With the extensive and catastrophic flood events experienced in the nation in 2012 and 2022, the country needs to take proactive steps to gear up and ameliorate such experiences. This article assessed the laws and institutions set up to address the incidences of flood and control. The study adopted the desk approach by reviewing laws and secondary materials that were subjected to content analysis. Presently, the country has a framework in place for prevention and response to flooding, yet the impacts are not felt with the level of non-compliance with the laws. The institutions saddled with the responsibilities of enforcing the laws for compliance are also not forthcoming in their duties. Some of the factors hampering the effectiveness of the laws include non-implementation of laws at the state and local government levels, the culture of impunity among citizens exacerbating incidences of flooding, lack of adequate funding for institutions, unhealthy competition, and lack of cooperation among agencies and corrupt tendencies among officials. it is recommended that states should implement federal laws to suit their peculiar circumstances, fund necessary agencies for prevention and engage citizens continually by creating awareness and sensitisation to reduce flood incidences.