One year after torrential rains and the collapse of a dam flooded large parts of Maiduguri in north-eastern Nigeria, thousands of residents remain displaced, livelihoods lie in ruins and many fear a repeat as the peak of the rainy season approaches.
At least 37 people died in the floods and about two million people abandoned their homes after water from the failed Alau dam and breached dykes inundated neighbourhoods, destroyed houses, farms and businesses, and forced large-scale evacuations. The Borno state government and aid agencies established relief camps and distributed food, but many families say support has been limited and slow.
Sa'adatu Dahiru, a 42-year-old mother of six, said she lost her two-year-old son to hunger and fever while they were displaced during the floods. "He died as a result of hunger and fever during the flood. We had no proper food, no medicine, and no safe place to stay," she told reporters. Dahiru said she received a one-off cash transfer of 10,000 naira (about $7) at the time, but that promised longer-term assistance has not arrived.
Seventy-two-year-old Maryam Jidda, who fled attacks by the Boko Haram insurgency years earlier, said the flood forced her to flee again. She described standing in waist-deep water as her compound was overwhelmed. "I thought I would die with my six children," she said; in later comments she said she had 10 children and that only three survived. Many residents said they remain in makeshift shelters with scarce food and unsafe water.
Young people have been particularly hard hit by the disruption to education and the loss of employment. Ali Kadau, 21, said the flood "took everything" from him, washing away the mechanic tools and small earnings that had supported him. He now spends days seeking casual work or doing nothing, describing a sense of despair about rebuilding without funds or training.
The dam at the centre of the catastrophe, at Alau on the outskirts of Maiduguri, was constructed in 1986 and is overseen by the Chad Basin Development Authority (CBDA), an agency of the Nigerian government. Engineers and government officials say the dykes failed after years of inadequate maintenance exacerbated by insecurity in the region.
Mohammed Shettima, head of engineering at the CBDA, told the BBC the dam sits on the fringes of the Sambisa forest, about 4km from areas used by jihadist groups, and that the long-running insurgency hindered maintenance. Security incidents have continued to complicate recovery work: in August two soldiers were killed near the dam and four security agents were reportedly killed by people suspected to be Islamist fighters.
Borno Governor Babagana Umara Zulum said the scale of the emergency made the response daunting, with the state already hosting more than a million people displaced by Islamist violence before the floods. Authorities prioritised emergency measures to stop water overflowing into the city, including desilting rivers and building drainage, and set up committees to coordinate relief. The governor said the government and partners raised about 28.2 billion naira (roughly $18 million) for relief and recovery, which was used for shelter, food, and direct assistance to households, traders and some institutions.
The United Nations described the floods as Borno State's most devastating in 30 years. Relief agencies and the state reported that more than 100,000 households received some assistance and that more than 7,000 traders in affected markets were given financial help. Authorities also approved funds to rehabilitate and upgrade boreholes to restore safe water access in Maiduguri and surrounding communities.
As part of reconstruction, the CBDA and the Borno government have begun repairing the dam and dyke system. The state has requested an additional 61 billion naira to rebuild roads, bridges and hospitals damaged by the floods. Officials warned that securing such a large appropriation could prove difficult unless further emergency needs materialise.
Residents and aid workers say recovery will take years. Many families lost documentation, livelihoods and homes built of mud and other easily damaged materials. Schools used as temporary shelters have only partially resumed classes in some areas, and market traders report slow returns to business.
Security constraints that have limited maintenance of flood-control infrastructure remain a central concern for engineers and officials. The presence of armed groups in surrounding areas complicates repair works and the protection of staff and supplies, prolonging risks to vulnerable neighbourhoods as seasons change.
With the rainy season expected to peak in September, anxiety is rising in Maiduguri. "How do I start again when I have nothing?" asked Dahiru. For others, the trauma is ongoing: Jidda said there is "nothing left but memories and pain." The combination of rebuilding needs, limited resources and ongoing insecurity leaves many in Maiduguri facing an uncertain recovery as they brace for the possibility of renewed flooding.
Additional reporting for this article drew on local field reporting and statements from state authorities and relief agencies.