Paper short abstract:

Ibadan, the Yoruba largest city exemplifies the failure of urbanisation process in Nigeria.The failure of post-colonial state to enforce effective physical planning legislation and lack of political will to invest in urban infrastructures of the city resulted in the outbreak urban flooding.

Paper long abstract:

Ibadan, the Yoruba largest city exemplifies the failure of urbanisation process in Nigeria. Established by warlords of the Yoruba civil wars in the 1820s, the city has continued to grow beyond its traditional boundary. The failure of post-colonial state to enforce effective physical planning legislation and lack of political will to invest in urban infrastructures of the city resulted in the outbreak of natural disaster Since 1960, the city has witnessed major five (1960, 1963, 1978, 1980, 2011) outbreaks of floods with a varying degree of human and materials lost. This paper argued that historicizing flooding, a significant element of urbanization and environmental degradation would enhance our understanding on how failure of policies has contributed to the urban disaster in African largest city of Ibadan. The paper relied on extensive primary sources sourced from Africana section of the university of Ibadan library, National archives, Ibadan, Oyo state ministry of environment and oral interviews.