On August 19, 2025, Nigeria’s House of Representatives officially inaugurated an Ad-hoc Committee on Flood Management and Response—a move that many hope will mark a turning point in the country’s long-running battle with devastating floods. The ceremony, held at the National Assembly in Abuja, brought together government officials, emergency agencies, and humanitarian partners, all united by a growing sense of urgency to address what lawmakers now call a “national emergency.”
Speaker Tajudeen Abbas, represented at the event by House Leader Julius Ihonvbere, set the tone in his welcome remarks. According to Champion Newspapers, Abbas described flooding as “a national challenge that has continued to wreck havoc in many states of the country.” He made it clear that the committee’s mandate goes beyond simply managing disasters, emphasizing that “it is not about managing disaster but securing lives and properties.”
The Speaker underscored the House’s commitment to deploying legislative frameworks to help mitigate the devastating effects of natural disasters. “Our duty as lawmakers extends beyond enacting laws to anticipating challenges, strengthening institutions, and ensuring that government responses meet the needs of the people,” Abbas said, as reported by Vanguard. He stressed that the committee’s role is to investigate both the remote and immediate causes of flooding, and to recommend actionable solutions that will either solve the problem or at least mitigate its impact across Nigeria.
Flooding has become a familiar and tragic refrain in Nigeria, with entire communities losing homes, farmlands, and livelihoods each year. Chairman of the Ad-hoc Committee, Hon. Dr. Midala Usman Balami, did not mince words about the scale of the challenge. “This is no longer a seasonal inconvenience—it is a national emergency that demands urgent, coordinated, and strategic action,” Balami declared, according to Daily Independent. He went on to describe how flooding has become a recurring and devastating national challenge, causing “loss of lives, properties destroyed, livelihoods disrupted, and the socio-economic fabric of entire communities severely affected.”
Balami emphasized that the committee’s work is not just a ceremonial beginning but a “clarion call to duty.” The committee, he said, will “work painstakingly with other ministries, departments and agencies of government to investigate the causes of flooding and engage relevant agencies, development partners and other stakeholders to recommend sustainable and actionable measures to mitigate the impact of flooding across Nigeria.” According to Vanguard, the committee’s approach will be collaborative, involving ministries such as Environment, Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management, as well as agencies like the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corps (NSCDC), Nigeria Fire Service, Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency, and the Nigeria Meteorological Agency (NIMET).
The committee has also pledged to listen to the voices of affected communities and interface with experts to ensure that their final report provides a blueprint for lasting solutions. “We shall work diligently, collaboratively, and transparently. We will listen to the voices of affected communities, interface with experts, and ensure that our final report provides a blueprint for lasting solutions,” Balami stated, echoing the need for a comprehensive national framework that covers prevention, early warning systems, emergency response, community resilience, infrastructure development, and climate adaptation strategies.
Speaker Abbas called for inter-agency collaboration, stressing that effective flood management “requires the concerted involvement of emergency agencies, ministries of environment, water resources, health, works, and housing, state and local governments as well as the Nigeria’s Space Agency that will help with provision of satellite imagery for properly mapping.” He also urged the committee to pay special attention to legislative gaps that may hinder effective flood response, noting that where existing laws are “weak, outdated, or insufficient, it is your duty to highlight them. This will enable the House to act promptly in strengthening our legal framework so that our people are adequately protected from recurring disasters.”
The urgency of the committee’s work was further underscored by Dr. Tanko Sununu, Minister of State for Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, who attended the inauguration. Sununu painted a sobering picture of Nigeria’s worsening humanitarian crisis, noting that over 3 million people remain internally displaced due to flooding, insecurity, and other natural disasters. “Globally, humanitarian funding is shrinking, and Nigeria is not exempt,” the minister warned, as reported by Vanguard. He highlighted that the World Food Programme recently suspended some of its activities, which had supported more than 1.2 million Nigerians with emergency transfers in the North-East. “This leaves over 300,000 children at risk of malnutrition, while more than 200,000 are already receiving treatment.”
Goodwill messages also flowed in from agencies such as NIMET, the Ministry of Environment, and the Ministry of Health, all expressing support for the committee’s mandate and the need for a coordinated response. Representatives from the Ministry of Environment, Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management, NEMA, NSCDC, Nigeria Fire Service, Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency, and NIMET attended the inauguration, signaling broad institutional backing for the initiative.
Balami, a lawmaker from Borno State, made an open appeal for support from all arms of government, civil society, the private sector, international partners, and the Nigerian people. “As we commence this journey today, we seek the support of all arms of government, civil society, the private sector, international partners, and most importantly, the Nigerian people,” he said, as quoted in Daily Independent.
The committee’s establishment reflects the 10th House of Representatives’ determination to address the flooding crisis head-on. Lawmakers and stakeholders alike hope that this new approach—rooted in collaboration, legislative reform, and community engagement—will finally move the country from reactive, piecemeal responses to a more preventive and resilient strategy.
Flooding in Nigeria is not just an environmental issue. It’s an economic, social, and humanitarian challenge that has, for too long, left thousands of families displaced, farmlands submerged, and critical infrastructure washed away. The Ad-hoc Committee’s work is poised to determine whether the nation can finally break the cycle of destruction and loss—or whether the annual tragedy of floods will continue to define the lives of millions.
