Despite Nigeria’s worsening flood crisis, some River Basin Development Authorities (RBDAs) have spent more than N2.98 billion on projects outside their core mandate in 2024, an FIJ analysis has shown.

Since February, these agencies have served as conduits to fund about 99 RBDA-unrelated projects across various federal constituencies in Nigeria.

Among the RBDAs involved were Sokoto, Imo/Anambra, Hadeja Jama, Upper Niger and Lower Benue. The most frequently recurring projects on the list included road constructions and streetlight installations.

There were more questionable expenses on the list. In February, for instance, Sokoto RBDA paid N30.5 million to Gaspex Africa Limited for delivering sewing machines in Kware/Wamakko Federal Constituency.

Similarly, the Lower Niger RBDA paid N30.6 million to Golden Services Integrated for a hall in the palace of the monarch of Ikere-Ekiti in Ekiti State. This project was facilitated by Senator Yemi Adaramodu, representing Ekiti South Federal Constituency, the constituency where the palace is domiciled. TrackaNG, a civil organisation tracking public projects in Nigeria, reported progress on this project in July.

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Other curious cases include the Benin/Edo RBDA’s N32 million payment to Sam Sedi Nigeria Limited and Godom Engineering for ‘healthcare centre rehabilitation’ in Ikiagbo, Edo State. Cross River RBDA also spent N15 million on a skills acquisition centre in Ika Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State. The payment was made to Rekain Services Limited.

FIJ tabulated the full details of these expenses here.

IGNORING DUE PROCESS IS EXPENSIVE

The decree establishing the RBDAs was made in 1976. The River Basin Decree spelt out the basic functions of the authorities: flood control, erosion control, water supply, irrigation and pollution control. But these agencies continue to fund projects outside their mandate while flood and erosion issues worsen

The Alau Dam collapse, for instance, has been established to be caused by negligence of the Federal Ministry of Water Resources and, most especially, the Chad BRDA. An investigation by Humangle, using satellite imagery, nailed the coffin on this.

FIJ reported that in over 12 years — and despite the disastrous dam collapse in 1994 — the federal government had budgeted only N762 million for repairs in Alau Dam. FIJ could only confirm that half of this budgetary allocation had been used for the repairs by the Chad RBDA.

At press time, more than 414,000 people had been displaced and more than 30 people had died in Borno State alone, as a result of the dam collapse, according to the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA).

This disaster is one of many in 2024. PUNCH quoted NEMA stating that at least 205 people have died and 225,000 have been displaced nationwide due to flooding.

In July, Joseph Usterv, Minister of Water Resources, confirmed that 21 local government areas across 10 states, including Lagos, Kwara, Edo, and Taraba, were submerged following heavy rainfall.

But beyond the fiscal irresponsibility of the basin authorities, state governments are also not doing enough in terms of funding flood control and prevention.

READ MORE: Two Borno Flood Victims Die Scrambling for Food

For instance, FIJ reported how 12 flood-prone states spent far less than their ecological fund allocations on environmental protection in 2024.

More agencies that should be at the forefront of flood control may be spending huge portions of their allocations on projects outside their mandate like the CBDAs, especially as a result of political interference in the appropriation process.

In the 2024 budget alone, the federal government allocated projects worth more than N624 billion to agencies outside their primary mandate.
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