Unending Flood Disasters and the Promised ‘Change’ – Babatunde Olushola Senbanjo

By Otunba Babatunde Olushola Senbanjo (BOS)

Since 2015, the All Progressives Congress (APC) has taken over the reins of leadership in Nigeria with grand promises of change, prosperity, and protection of life and property. Nigerians, weary from years of hardship, embraced those promises with hope. But nearly a decade later, we are still grappling with the same, if not worse, challenges that have plagued our nation for decades.

One of the most devastating of these challenges is the recurring flood disasters that destroy homes, farmlands, livelihoods, and most tragically, lives. Year after year, states across the country are submerged. From Kogi to Bayelsa, Anambra to Lagos, the story remains the same: suffering, displacement, and neglect. These floods are not new. They are predictable. Yet, nothing concrete has been done to prevent them.

Despite the warnings from meteorological agencies and environmental experts, the Federal Government continues to treat these disasters as unexpected emergencies rather than recurring crises that require proactive solutions. Dams are not managed properly, drainage systems are poor or nonexistent, urban planning is ignored, and environmental laws are flouted without consequences.

What happened to the promised change? What happened to the protection of life and property? Since APC came into power, Nigerians have waited patiently for transformation not in words, but in actions. Instead, we are served yearly with empty statements, committees without outcomes, and visits without results.

We are tired. Tired of promises. Tired of watching our loved ones drown in floodwaters while leaders fly over affected areas in helicopters, only to return to their air-conditioned offices in Abuja. Tired of losing our farms, our homes, our future, and getting nothing in return but condolences and vague assurances.

The time for talk is over. Nigerians demand real action. Climate resilience must be made a national priority. Emergency funds must be used transparently. Infrastructure must be built and maintained. And above all, leadership must be accountable.

Until then, the so-called change we were promised will remain just that a broken promise floating away in the floodwaters that continue to ravage our beloved country.