Managing Director of the Nigerian Railway Corporation and the Minister of Transportation are to appear before House Committee over the Mokwa flood
The Managing Director of the Nigeria Incentive-Based Risk Sharing System for Agricultural Lending (NIRSAL), Mr. Aliyu Abdulhameed, has blamed poor railway infrastructure for the recent flood disaster in Mokwa, Niger State, which claimed lives, destroyed farmlands, and displaced residents.
Abdulhameed made this disclosure during an appearance before the House of Representatives Committee on Hydrological Services and the Hydroelectric Power Producing Areas Development Commission (HYPPADEC), chaired by Rep. Paschal Agbodike.
The interactive session attended by stakeholders from Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet), HYPPADEC, Ministry of Environment, Chairman Mokwa Local Government Area, and representatives of Niger State Governor, focused on flood disaster management strategies, with the Mokwa tragedy and other cases under review.
Contrary to widespread speculations, the NIRSAL boss dismissed suggestions that the deluge was caused by water discharge from the Kainji or Jebba dams.
“What happened in Mokwa, in particular, was caused majorly by the railway in the area. That was the only reason that made it happen. There is a railway embankment, up to about four meters high, that was actually stopping the water from draining into the River Niger. That was the major reason, it had nothing to do with Kainji Dam, it had nothing to do with Jebba Dam. Both are downstream,” he clarified.
Abdulhameed explained that the railway line, believed to have been reconstructed between 2018 and 2019, originally featured drainage systems to allow water passage into the river. However, those outlets were entirely blocked after the renovation.
“What happened was after the inauguration, they blocked completely those drainage systems that are supposed to allow the water to drain into River Niger. So the water piled up over the years.
“Since 2023, based on my visitations because I was there most of the people in the Mokwa settlement have lost their farms due to the accumulation of water upstream, trapped behind the railway embankment,” he said.
He added that the embankment, made solely of soil, lacked the structural integrity to hold back rising water pressure.
“It has been eating up that embankment because it is purely soil,” he said. “It started losing its strength to hold back the water. Then that fearful night, it gave way. The water punctured it, and that was why it came with huge cost and swept through the settlement on that river.”
Abdulhameed also cited human encroachment as a worsening factor. He noted that residents had settled along a dried-up river in Dingin, mistaking the area for permanently reclaimed land after years of dry spells caused by the embankment.
“Certainly, there are a lot of anthropogenic activities where people have settled on that same river. Why? Because over the years, after the embankment was built and water stopped flowing, people found it convenient to just settle there. That was a major cause of that particular flood,” he noted.
In response to the disaster, said he had initiated a dialogue with the Managing Director of the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC). Both parties agreed on the urgent need for a nationwide probe of railway constructions and their interference with natural waterways.
“I had a long meeting with the MD of Nigeria Railway Corporation, and we are putting up a team to probe all railway lines. Because I noticed a lot of other places apart from Mokwa, where the same practice is being repeated.
“So to avoid future occurrences, we are probing all the railway lines, including all the federal highways I have been to, to ensure that waterways are maintained,” he added.
In reaction, the House Committee summoned the Managing Director of the Nigerian Railway Corporation and the Minister of Transportation to appear before it over their role in the Mokwa flood.
Committee Chairman, Rep. Agbodike, said the railway construction raised troubling concerns, especially given the scale of destruction.
“For natural disasters, it seems we are always waiting for them to happen before we start talking about remediation. We cannot let that continue any longer.
“This committee is hereby inviting the Managing Director of the Nigeria Railway Corporation and the Honourable Minister of Transportation to appear before us. They must come and explain why they undertook a project that directly led to loss of lives and property.
“We will not tolerate any loss of life as a result of flood again in this country. Any ministry or agency that is responsible will be seriously dealt with,” he warned.
In his opening remarks, Agbodike also emphasized the need for a coordinated national flood response strategy, particularly in vulnerable regions such as Mokwa, Kainji, Jebba, and parts of Anambra like Ihiala and Ogbaru.
He said the nation had reached a tipping point, with the challenge of flooding worsened by climate change, rapid urbanization, and aging infrastructure.
“Flooding has become a recurrent problem in Nigeria. Our goal today is to explore effective measures to mitigate the risks, improve preparedness, and strengthen disaster response systems nationwide,” he stated.
Agbodike underscored that improved water management and disaster preparedness could no longer be delayed.
“The Mokwa, Kainji, and Jebba Dams are key to our national water and energy systems, but when mismanaged or left unattended, they pose enormous danger,” he noted.
He outlined four key focus areas for the Committee: Community Awareness and Engagement, Improved Forecasting and Early Warning Systems, Infrastructure Maintenance and Green Solutions, and Climate Change Adaptation.
Agbodike stressed the importance of collaboration between federal, state, and local governments, development partners, and communities in building long-term resilience.
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11 Motions in 21 Months: Senate inaction as 2025 flooding looms
Parliament Reports, through its Motion and Movement (M&M) tracker, revealed that within the first 10 months of the 10th House of Representatives, lawmakers raised 52 motions addressing issues of flooding, erosion, and storms each accompanied by various resolutions. In the Senate, 11 out of 157 motions moved before the midterm mark focused on flooding.
Across both chambers, these motions often followed a predictable pattern: expressions of sympathy, observance of a minute of silence for victims, and calls on the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) to provide relief. They also typically urged intervention from agencies such as the Ecological Fund, the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet), the Ministry of Environment, and the National Flood Management Council (NFMC), recommending measures like the construction of dykes, levees, and embankments.
However, the report noted that while these responses are well-intentioned, they fall short of delivering sustained, proactive policy actions capable of genuinely safeguarding lives and livelihoods from recurring disasters.
