As climate change intensifies, Nigeria’s coastline is under growing threat—not just to civilians and coastal communities, but also to national defence. With military installations located near the sea, rising tides and storm surges are becoming silent invaders. But thanks to advances in geospatial intelligence and machine learning, this looming threat can be foreseen and mitigated.
Frank Alamoh, a GIS analyst and climate researcher, believes the solution lies in predictive mapping. “We can’t wait for disaster to strike. With GIS and machine learning, we can simulate future risks and take preventive action today,” he says.
Alamoh has dedicated much of his academic and professional life to geospatial analysis, with a focus on environmental risk and climate vulnerability. As a teaching assistant and researcher at Georgia State University, his work includes creating spatial models to analyze natural hazard impacts—a skill urgently needed at home in Nigeria.
“Military bases in Lagos, Bayelsa, Cross River, and Rivers States are increasingly at risk due to coastal erosion and flooding. These installations are critical to national security, yet few have a climate-resilient risk model,” Alamoh explains.
GeoAI—an integration of GIS and artificial intelligence—offers powerful tools for risk prediction. Using historical flood data, topography, land use, and sea-level models, AI algorithms can simulate how coastal flooding might impact specific installations in years to come.
“These models can tell us not just where water will go, but when and how deep. They allow for detailed planning—whether it’s fortifying defences or relocating assets,” he says. Alamoh advocates for proactive measures informed by data, not post-disaster responses.
His own experience spans both academic research and on-the-ground urban environmental projects. While working with Environmental Community Action in Atlanta, he led GIS teams analysing climate impacts on vulnerable communities, skills directly transferable to Nigeria’s coastal threats.
“The same science used to protect children in underserved urban areas can be used to protect soldiers and strategic equipment. GIS doesn’t care who you are—it maps what it sees,” Alamoh notes.
One of the most significant advantages of GIS-based flood risk modelling is its adaptability. As new data becomes available, models can be recalibrated, providing decision-makers with real-time risk updates. Alamoh says this feature is critical in the face of climate unpredictability.
“Our military planners need to know more than just terrain. They need to know how the terrain will change over the next 10, 20, or 30 years. That’s what smart defence planning looks like,” he explains.
He points to examples from countries like the Netherlands and the U.S., where coastal flood prediction tools are already integrated into defence infrastructure planning. Nigeria, he believes, must follow suit or risk avoidable loss.
But Alamoh also warns that the technology must be backed by policy. “It’s not enough to have the maps. There must be a system that mandates climate risk assessment in all military engineering projects,” he stresses.
He proposes a partnership model between the Ministry of Defence and Nigerian universities to develop custom risk models using local datasets. “Our local researchers and students have the skills. They just need a platform and investment,” he adds.
Beyond physical protection, Alamoh believes predictive mapping also aids national security indirectly. “Disaster often creates chaos. Floods can weaken defences, displace communities, and create gaps for insurgent activity. So flood mapping is also counter-terrorism,” he says.
He sees this work as part of a broader mission to apply science where it’s needed most. “We must move geospatial tools out of the classroom and into the real world—especially where lives and infrastructure are at stake,” Alamoh insists.
In his view, GIS professionals are not just map-makers, but frontline defenders in a changing world. “We map the unseen, predict the unexpected, and provide clarity when uncertainty reigns,” he concludes.
As Nigeria seeks to modernise its military and prepare for a future shaped by climate uncertainty, experts like Frank Alamoh are showing that defence doesn’t always begin with weapons—it often starts with data.
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