Preprint Article Version 1 Preserved in Portico This version is not peer-reviewed

Flood Policy and Governance: A Pathway for Policy Coherence in Nigeria

Samir Shehu Danhassan
ORCID logo ,
Abubakar Ahmed
,
Aminu Sulaiman Zangina
,
Mohammad Hadi Ahmad
,
Saddam A. Hazaea
ORCID logo ,
Mohd Yusoff Ishak
,
Jiahua Zhang
* ORCID logo
Version 1 : Received: 17 November 2022 / Approved: 29 November 2022 / Online: 29 November 2022 (03:03:23 CET)

A peer-reviewed article of this Preprint also exists.

Danhassan, S.S.; Abubakar, A.; Zangina, A.S.; Ahmad, M.H.; Hazaea, S.A.; Ishak, M.Y.; Zhang, J. Flood Policy and Governance: A Pathway for Policy Coherence in Nigeria. Sustainability 2023, 15, 2392. Danhassan, S.S.; Abubakar, A.; Zangina, A.S.; Ahmad, M.H.; Hazaea, S.A.; Ishak, M.Y.; Zhang, J. Flood Policy and Governance: A Pathway for Policy Coherence in Nigeria. Sustainability 2023, 15, 2392.

Abstract

In recent years, Nigeria is witnessing increasing frequency of flood occurrence with devastating impact translating into significant loss of lives (in Nigeria, over 300 people died in September 2022) and properties. Addressing flood disaster requires holistic approach from policy and governance perspectives, integration of policies and programs and synergies between institutions. Using synergies and eliminating trade-offs, flood governance and policy coherence integrate all relevant policy fields and institutions to achieve common policy outcomes. The objective of this study is to examine and understand how flood governance and policy coherence are approached, as well as institutional design and implementation for coherence in Nigeria. The findings revealed that there is no single flood policy in Nigeria. Due to this, there is no focus and no defined objectives for flood governance, prevention, control, and management, and no imperative for the government to seek both short-term and long-term flood solutions. There is no synergy and coordination among institutions for flood governance in the country. Since the country established the federal ministry of environment in 1999, the environment, floods, and climate-related hazards were given less priority. State and local governments handle most flood disasters and emergencies. Federal assistance is provided, however, when flood disasters exceed the capabilities of local and state governments. This study recommends that across the country, flood policy needs to be designed, formulated, and implemented while assigning governance responsibility and decentralizing policy to state and local governments.

Keywords

flood; policy; governance; institutions; Nigeria

Subject

Environmental and Earth Sciences, Environmental Science

Copyright: This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

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