Teaching Comparative Government and Politics

Wednesday, September 19, 2018

Not just in the Carolinas and Hong Kong

Are the limits on government capabilities in NIgeria imposed by politics? economics? cleavages?

Nigeria floods kill more than 100

More than 100 people have died in floods after Nigeria's two major rivers burst their banks, authorities say.

Flooding in Nigeria

The National Emergency Management Agency (Nema) says heavy rains caused the Niger River and Benue River to overflow.

It has resulted in a series of floods across the country over two weeks, with rural areas most vulnerable.

The government is urging residents along waterways to relocate to safe places.

Thousands of people have been displaced and vast swathes of farmlands have been destroyed by the floods in central and southern Nigeria, says the BBC's Is'haq Khalid in the capital, Abuja.

Niger State

Worst hit is Niger State, where more than 40 people have died, Nema director Mustapha Yunusa Maihaja told the BBC.

Eleven other states have been affected…

Nigerian authorities are considering declaring a state of emergency, saying more floods could hit in the coming days and weeks as heavy rains continue.

Nigeria faces flooding almost every year.

Analysts blame recurring flood disasters on lack of proper town planning, blocked waterways and poor drainage systems.