3 Million Nigerians Displaced as Reps Launch Flood Management Committee

By Oluwakemi Kindness

The House of Representatives on Monday inaugurated an Ad-hoc Committee on Flood Management and Response as Nigeria grapples with worsening humanitarian crises that have displaced more than three million citizens.

This is also as the Minister of State for Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Dr. Tanko Sununu, raised the alarm at the inauguration warning that millions more risk hunger and malnutrition as donor support dwindles.

“Globally, humanitarian funding is shrinking, and Nigeria is not exempt. Just a few days ago, the World Food Programme 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,” Sununu said.

Declaring the committee inaugurated, Speaker of the House, Tajuddeen Abbas, described flooding as a national emergency that has destroyed livelihoods, displaced families, and undermined development across the country.

“The 10th House of Representatives is committed to deploying legislative frameworks that will help mitigate the devastating effects of natural disasters. Flooding goes beyond being a mere environmental issue; it is also an economic, social, and humanitarian challenge,” Abbas said.

He tasked the committee to propose both immediate and long-term solutions while ensuring inter-agency collaboration with emergency agencies, ministries, state and local governments, and even the Nigerian Space Agency for satellite mapping.

Chairman of the committee, Midala Balami, assured that its work would not be ceremonial but focused on developing a national framework for prevention, early warning systems, emergency response, and climate adaptation strategies.

“What we need is a comprehensive approach. This is no longer a seasonal inconvenience; it is a national emergency that demands urgent, coordinated, and strategic action,” Balami said.

The inauguration also drew goodwill messages from the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet), the Ministries of Environment and Health, and other stakeholders who pledged support for the committee’s assignment.