The Managing Director of the Nigeria Incentive-Based Risk Sharing System for Agricultural Lending (NIRSAL), Aliyu Abdulhameed, has attributed the devastating flood in Mokwa, Niger State, to poor railway infrastructure, rather than dam-related overflow as widely assumed.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

Appearing before the House of Representatives Committee on Hydrological Services and the Hydroelectric Power Producing Areas Development Commission—chaired by Paschal Agbodike—Abdulhameed disclosed that the flood, which claimed over 200 lives and caused billions of naira in property damage, was largely due to a blocked railway embankment in the area.

“What happened in Mokwa was primarily caused by the railway. There’s a four-metre-high embankment that obstructed natural water flow into the River Niger,” he said. “It had nothing to do with the Kainji or Jebba Dams—they’re both downstream and not responsible.”

He explained that the rail line, which was reportedly renovated between 2018 and 2019, originally included drainage systems that allowed floodwaters to pass safely into the river. However, during the reconstruction phase, these outlets were sealed off, causing a long-term accumulation of water.

“Following the rail project’s inauguration, they blocked the drainage systems meant to channel water into the River Niger. Over time, the water built up. Since 2023, many residents of Mokwa have lost their farmlands due to the trapped floodwaters upstream,” Abdulhameed added.

He further revealed that the embankment was structurally unsound, made entirely of soil with no reinforcement. As pressure mounted over the years, the embankment weakened and eventually collapsed.

“That night, the embankment gave way. It had eroded over time. Once breached, the water surged through the settlement, causing massive destruction,” he said.

The NIRSAL boss also cited human encroachment as a key aggravating factor, noting that people had settled along what they believed was dry, reclaimed riverbed land, unaware of the danger.

“Over the years, with water no longer flowing, people assumed the riverbed was safe and started building there. That contributed significantly to the scale of the disaster,” he noted.

In response, Abdulhameed revealed that NIRSAL had begun collaborating with the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) to launch a nationwide audit of railway construction projects and their impacts on natural waterways.

“I’ve had a lengthy meeting with the MD of the NRC. Together, we’re setting up a technical team to assess rail alignments across the country. We’ve already identified similar situations beyond Mokwa,” he said. “We’ll also investigate federal highways to ensure that natural waterways are not obstructed.”

Meanwhile, the committee has summoned both the Managing Director of the Nigeria Railway Corporation, Kayode Opeifa, and the Minister of Transportation, Saidu Alkali, to appear and explain their roles in the disaster.

Chairman Agbodike emphasized the gravity of the situation: “The NRC’s railway project has raised serious concerns. Lives, farmlands, and property have been lost. We cannot continue waiting for disasters to happen before acting. That must stop now.”