A former acting Director-General of the National Emergency Management Agency, Air Vice Marshal Akugbe Iyamu (retd.), has questioned the use of N109bn released from the Ecological Fund between 2023 and 2025, amid recurring flooding across Nigeria.
Iyamu said Nigeria had enough rainfall data and early warnings to prepare for floods, but poor deployment of resources continued to leave vulnerable communities exposed to destruction and displacement.
Speaking on Arise News on Friday, he said changes in rainfall patterns should have prompted authorities to strengthen flood-prevention measures.
“The problem with us here is data for us to work with. Over time, the rainfall moved from between 1,150mm and 1,202mm to 2,000mm and 4,000mm. That’s quite a lot. That should have warned us,” he said.
Iyamu questioned how the N109bn released to the states through the Ecological Fund between 2023 and 2025 was spent.
“What have the states used it for?” he asked, arguing that the fund should be deployed primarily for ecological and flood-prevention projects rather than treated as part of states’ regular allocations.
“Our problem is not the finances; it is the way the finances are directed,” he said.
The retired Air Vice Marshal also called for greater transparency and accountability in the management of funds meant for disaster preparedness.
He said preventive measures, including the construction of sandbanks and riverbanks, should be prioritised before communities are hit by floods.
On flooding in Abuja, Iyamu blamed the worsening situation on changes to the city’s original drainage and relief-line designs.
“Abuja was made as a purpose-built city,” he said, arguing that the original master plan provided wider relief lines to accommodate water flow.
Iyamu called for the restoration of Abuja’s original master plan and urged authorities to strengthen coordination among agencies responsible for weather forecasting, water resources and emergency management.
He also advocated the effective use of anticipatory-action mechanisms to ensure funds and interventions reach vulnerable communities before disasters occur.
“First of all, let us harmonise our response agencies,” he said, adding that the Ecological Fund should be used for preparation and not merely post-disaster relief.
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