Flood Insurance Awareness and Demand Among Residents of Anambra River Basin Communities

This study examines flood insurance awareness and demand among residents of communities situated along the Anambra River Basin in Anambra State, South East Nigeria. Recurrent annual flooding along the Anambra River corridor has caused extensive property damage, displacement, and agricultural losses, yet formal flood insurance coverage in affected communities is virtually non-existent. This research adopts a descriptive survey design with data collected from 300 household heads in three flood-prone communities in Anambra West and Ogbaru local government areas. Structured questionnaires assess awareness of flood insurance products, willingness to pay for coverage, loss experience from past flood events, and knowledge of government emergency relief programs. Focus group discussions with community leaders supplement the quantitative data. Descriptive statistics and binary logistic regression analyze willingness-to-pay determinants and awareness predictors. Preliminary analysis suggests that awareness of formal flood insurance is negligible and that households primarily rely on government relief and community solidarity networks following flood events. The study argues that the absence of indexed flood insurance products tailored to riverine community risk profiles represents a critical gap in Nigeria's disaster risk financing architecture. The research recommends collaboration between the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), NAICOM, and private insurers to develop parametric flood insurance schemes for vulnerable riverine communities. Keywords: Flood Insurance, Disaster Risk, Anambra River, Community Resilience, Parametric Insurance.