Prominent environmentalist and Niger Delta-based development advocate, Comrade Mulade Sheriff, has called on state governments in the region to ensure greater transparency and accountability in the use of ecological funds.
He accused several Niger Delta governors of mismanaging resources meant to address the region’s worsening flood and erosion crises.
In a strongly worded statement, Comrade Mulade decried the persistent and devastating impact of seasonal flooding across the Niger Delta, despite the disbursement of over ₦600 billion in ecological funds by the Federal Government over the past decade.
“While we commend the Federal Government for its continued financial support to states grappling with erosion and flood-related issues, it is deeply regrettable that Niger Delta states, who have received a significant portion of these funds, have made no tangible progress in mitigating the problem,” he stated.
Mulade noted that in the past ten years, despite consistent federal funding, communities in the region continue to suffer catastrophic flooding, leading to loss of lives, destruction of livelihoods, food shortages, and rising unemployment, particularly due to the destruction of farmlands and rural economies.
He blamed the worsening situation on systemic corruption, weak institutional responses, and political interference.
According to him, state governments have turned ecological funds into a “looting conduit,” often hiding behind so-called Flood Management Committees created not for problem-solving but as smokescreens for misappropriating public resources.
“The failure of government at all levels, especially at the state level, is central to the unrelenting flood disasters we witness yearly in the Niger Delta.
“Funds meant to save lives and protect communities have instead been diverted or wasted by political elites,” Mulade lamented.
He accused state governors of establishing ad-hoc and politically compromised committees which, rather than developing long-term flood control strategies, focus on setting up temporary and poorly managed IDP camps that lack modern infrastructure, potable water, and basic sanitation.
“The absence of functional drainage systems, widespread deforestation, and illegal constructions along natural waterways, all enabled by political negligence, have compounded the region’s vulnerability,” he added.
Mulade called for an immediate structural overhaul of how ecological challenges are managed in the Niger Delta.
He urged the creation of independent and professionally-run flood management agencies with clearly defined mandates and oversight responsibilities.
“Niger Delta states must move beyond reactive and corrupt emergency responses. We need dedicated agencies empowered to develop stormwater dams, rehabilitate drainage systems, and protect natural waterways. This is the only way to prevent further environmental and economic ruin,” he asserted.
The activist concluded by urging civil society organizations, the media, and concerned citizens to demand transparency and hold state leaders accountable for the proper use of ecological funds
