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The Federal Government has forecasted dense rainfall implicit a five-day play that whitethorn trigger flooding crossed 19 states and 76 locations.
The warning, issued connected Tuesday by the National Flood Early Warning Systems Centre of the Federal Ministry of Environment, called connected stakeholders and residents to instrumentality urgent precautionary measures.
This comes arsenic devastating floods struck Ogun and Gombe states connected Tuesday, with different states — including Lagos, Plateau, Anambra, and Delta — besides affected by the disaster.
According to the centre’s flood prediction obtained by our correspondent, the affected areas are expected to acquisition rainfall apt to origin flooding from August 5 to August 9, 2025.
The predicted states and locations are Akwa-Ibom (Edor, Eket, Ikom, Oron, Upenekang); Bauchi (Tafawa-Balewa, Azare, Jama’are, Kari, Misau, Jama’a); Ebonyi (Abakaliki, Echara, Ezilo); Cross-River (Ogoja Edor, Obubra); Nasarawa (Keana, Keffi, Wamba); Benue (Agaku, Buruku, Gboko, Igumale, Ito, Katsina-Ala, Ugba, Vande-Ikya); Kaduna (Jaji, Kafancha, Birnin-Gwari, Zaria) and Katsina (Bindawa, Bakori, Daura, Funtua).
Others are Kebbi (Bagudo, Birnin-Kebbi, Bunza, Gwandu, Jega, Kalgo, Kamba, Kangiwa, Shanga, Ribah, Sakaba, Saminaka, Yelwa, Gauri-Banza); Kano (Bebeji, Gezawa, Gwarzo, Kano, Karaye, Tundun-wada, Wudil, Kunchi); Niger (Kontagora, Rijau, Ringim); Plateau (Mangu); Taraba (Donga, Takum); Jigawa (Diginsa, Gumel, Dutse, Gwaram, Hadejia, Miga); Yobe (Machina, Potiskum); Zamfara (Anka); Sokoto (Sokoto, Wamakko); Borno (Biu); and Gombe (Bajoga).
Flooding successful Nigeria has go a yearly occurrence that claims lives and destroys galore properties. Last year, 31 states were reportedly affected by flooding, causing hundreds of deaths, injuring thousands of others and affecting 1.2 million.
On September 10, 2024 the Alau Dam collapsed, causing floods successful Borno State, sidesplitting astatine slightest 150 people, displacing 419,000 others and causing the assemblage to submerge 70 per cent.
The state has experienced a bid of flooding events that caused spot damage, fatalities, injuries and displacement this year. The deadliest flood truthful acold this twelvemonth was successful May that reportedly killed astatine slightest 200 radical with thousands displaced successful Mokwa, Niger State.
The floods, triggered by aggravated rainfall and exacerbated by a dam collapse, caused wide demolition and severely impacted the community’s entree to indispensable services.
While Mokwa was the astir severely affected area, different parts of Nigeria besides experienced flooding successful 2025. The flooding affected aggregate states, including Rivers State – wherever torrential rains caused floods and landslides that buried homes and swept radical distant successful the metropolis of Okrika, sidesplitting astatine slightest 25 radical – and enactment millions of radical astatine risk.
In April, astatine slightest 13 radical were killed successful Kwara State and Mokwa, including 3 radical connected a canoe that capsized connected a flooded river, and atom fields were destroyed aft flooding triggered by the regular h2o merchandise from the Jebba Hydroelectric Power Station dam affected 30 communities.
Recently, the National Economic Council approved the merchandise of involution funds to enactment nationwide flood mitigation and effect efforts.
NEC approved the disbursements of N3bn each to the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory; N1.5bn to the Federal Ministry of Budget and National Planning; N1.5bn to the Federal Ministry of Environment; N1.5bn to the Federal Ministry of Water Resources and Sanitation; and N10bn to the National Emergency Management Agency.
In a dashboard released past Friday by NEMA, it showed that nary less than 165 persons person died, 82 missing and 119,791 persons person been affected by this year’s flooding.
The bureau besides stated that 138 persons sustained assorted degrees of injuries, 43,936 displaced, 8,594 houses affected and 8,278 farmlands destroyed crossed 43 Local Government Areas successful 19 States.
According to the agency, children and women were mostly affected.
191 dead – NEMA
Meanwhile, a caller study from the National Emergency Management Agency has revealed that successful 2025, nary less than 191 lives person been mislaid to the floods that person ravaged parts of the country, portion 94 radical stay missing.
The study obtained by our analogous connected Tuesday showed that Niger State recorded the highest fig of fatalities, with 163 deaths, followed by Adamawa State, wherever 26 radical mislaid their lives. One decease each was reported successful Borno and Gombe states.
The information further indicated that, truthful acold this year, the floods person affected 134,435 radical crossed 20 states and 47 section authorities areas.
The affected states see Abia, the Federal Capital Territory (Abuja), Adamawa, Akwa Ibom, Anambra, Bayelsa, Borno, Delta, Edo, Gombe, Imo, Jigawa, and Kaduna. Others are Kano, Kogi, Kwara, Niger, Ondo, Rivers, and Sokoto.
Additionally, 48,056 radical person been displaced, portion 239 injuries person been reported. The floods person besides damaged 9,499 houses and affected 9,450 farmlands.
NEMA’s dashboard besides revealed that among those affected are 27,121 men, 41,539 women, 60,071 children, 5,704 aged persons, and 1,874 persons with disabilities.
In 2024, the floods affected 5,264,097 individuals, displacing 1,243,638 radical crossed 35 states and 401 section authorities areas. The catastrophe resulted successful 1,237 deaths and near 16,469 individuals injured.
Also, 116,172 houses were destroyed, and 1,439,296 hectares of farmlands were affected, further worsening the economical and humanitarian interaction of the flooding crossed the country.
Ogun, Gombe ravaged
Parts of Ogun and Gombe states were ravaged by floods connected Tuesday pursuing dense rainfall that began Monday nighttime and lasted into the aboriginal hours of Tuesday.
At Redemption City, on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway successful Mowe, Ogun State, The PUNCH observed that residents, schoolchildren, and visiting religion members attending the Redeemed Christian Church of God yearly normal were trapped for hours arsenic floodwaters submerged parts of the area.
One of the worst-hit areas was Estate 15, wherever immoderate vehicles were wholly submerged. Stranded residents had to wantonness their cars and resorted to utilizing canoes arsenic a impermanent means of transportation.
In response, RCCG officials deployed Type D schoolhouse buses to assistance ferry radical successful and retired of the premises.
“I was trapped wrong the RCCG campy this (Tuesday) greeting and couldn’t permission for enactment until a peculiar luxurious autobus provided by the religion came to prime maine and others,” a resident, Tunde, told The PUNCH.
It was aforesaid script astatine the OPIC country of the state, wherever the floods disrupted activities and destroyed properties.
In Gombe, the sExecutive Secretary, State Emergency Management Agency, Haruna Abdullahi, says nary less than 4 persons died from flood, windstorms and rainfall.
He disclosed that astir 278 households comprising individuals and farmlands were affected.
Abdullahi said, “The past incidental was successful Kwami, Dukku, Billiri, Gombe, Yalmatu-Deba, Akko Local Government Areas.
“We received study of 4 dormant persons, 2 from Gombe Local Government Area, 1 from Dukku and different successful Kwami LG. About 278 households were affected mostly windstorm and flooding of farmlands, and immoderate houses. Mostly the deaths were caused by cracked walls.”
Other states
A nighttime of relentless rainfall plunged parts of Lagos into situation connected Monday, arsenic flash floods swept done residential and commercialized areas, stranding thousands and crippling economical enactment successful Nigeria’s largest city.
The rain, which began precocious Sunday and intensified done the aboriginal hours of Monday, overwhelmed drainage systems and turned streets into rivers crossed some Lagos Mainland and Island.
By dawn, neighbourhoods specified arsenic Ijede successful Ikorodu, Lekki, Surulere, Agege, Ajegunle, Alimosho, and Eti-Osa were inundated. Viral videos from Ijede showed families waist-deep successful floodwater, wading done what were erstwhile roads. In 1 emotionally charged clip, a barefoot pistillate successful Oko Ope cried retired successful Yoruba for authorities intervention, describing however her location had been overrun, “The h2o is everywhere. We can’t adjacent spell inside. We’ve mislaid everything.”
Traders astatine large markets were forced to wantonness shops arsenic floodwaters invaded stalls, damaging goods. Commuters were near stranded for hours, with large roads waterlogged and transport systems disrupted crossed the metropolis.
On societal media, the hashtags #LagosFlood and #IjedeTragedy trended arsenic residents posted photos of submerged vehicles, flooded surviving rooms, and schools nether water, renewing calls for a semipermanent solution to Lagos’s perennial flooding crisis.
Despite repeated promises from authorities officials implicit the years, the operation of mediocre municipality planning, blocked drainage systems, and unregulated operation successful water-prone zones continues to permission Lagos susceptible to seasonal flooding.
In Delta State, residents of Sapele and Oko communities began experiencing dense flooding arsenic of Monday. Some residents person already started relocating aft parts of their communities were submerged.
Victims of the flood lamented the harm to spot and disruption of their regular lives, appealing for contiguous involution from the government.
The Delta State Commissioner for Environment, Mr. Jamani Ejiro, visited Sapele for an on-the-spot appraisal and expressed sympathy for the affected residents. He assured them of the authorities government’s readiness to respond promptly to alleviate their suffering.
In Oko community, located successful Oshimili South LGA, residents described the yearly flooding arsenic a recurring menace and called for a lasting solution.
“We are bushed of this yearly trauma. We request drainage systems, not conscionable bare promises,” 1 nonmigratory said.
In a related development, the Delta State Government has established six fully-equipped IDP camps successful anticipation of wide flooding, Ejiro announced connected Tuesday.
Speaking to journalists, Ejiro said the proactive measurement was successful effect to the Nigerian Meteorological Agency’s prediction of dense rainfall and imaginable flooding successful respective parts of the state.
According to him, the IDP camps — located successful Kwale, Ozoro, Patani, Bomadi, Uto-Jeremi, and Asaba — person been strategically sited successful high-risk flood-prone areas to supply timely structure and enactment for affected residents.
“These camps are afloat equipped with modern facilities, including sick bays, information units, kitchens, and different indispensable amenities to guarantee the information and comfortableness of displaced persons,” the commissioner stated.
Ejiro further disclosed that the authorities authorities has constituted a Flood Disaster Management Committee led by the Secretary to the State Government, Dr. Kingsley Emu. The committee, helium said, is tasked with moving intimately with assemblage leaders to sensitise residents successful flood-prone communities connected the request to relocate erstwhile necessary.
“Our extremity is to guarantee that lives are not mislaid owed to preventable causes. When the request arises, we volition evacuate affected residents to these designated camps,” Ejiro assured.
The announcement comes arsenic respective communities crossed Nigeria, including successful Delta State, proceed to endure the devastating interaction of seasonal flooding.
In Diggi town, Bunza Local Government Area of Kebbi State, a three-hour downpour displaced dozens of residents and near respective homes underwater.
Eyewitnesses accidental the flood surged successful from adjacent unregulated waterways. “It came similar a monster,” a nonmigratory said. “People mislaid everything wrong minutes.”
The Kebbi State Government directed its exigency bureau and section authorities to supply contiguous relief. Items including food, bedding, and aesculapian supplies are already being mobilised, according to Ahmed Idris, Chief Press Secretary to the Governor.
Community leaders person urged citizens to support drainages and waterways wide and are calling connected NGOs, affluent individuals, and firm bodies to assistance successful betterment efforts.
In Bauchi State, the Bagel assemblage successful Dass Local Government Area suffered terrible flooding, leaving galore residents homeless. At slightest 13 houses were destroyed by the flood.
The Special Assistant connected Media to the Chairman of Dass LGA, Yusuf Makama, confirmed the incident. He noted that Chairman Mohammad Jibo had visited the community, assessed the grade of the damage, and promised to supply alleviation materials.
“He appealed to the authorities and national governments, arsenic good arsenic NGOs, to travel to the assistance of the victims,” Makama said.
In Shimankar District, Shendam LGA of Plateau State, a convulsive rainstorm connected Sunday near a way of destruction, affecting astatine slightest 50 homes, 2 superior schools, and a worship centre successful Menkaat community.
Affected residents who spoke to The PUNCH successful Jos connected Tuesday described the grade of the demolition arsenic “overwhelming.”
“We’ve been deed seriously. Our homes, schools, and places of worship were each destroyed,” said Lawrence Longwalk, a section resident. Another victim, Mrs. Akwe Hannatu, added, “We mislaid everything. Our location was destroyed, and we person obscurity to go.”
Though the State Emergency Management Agency has reportedly been alerted and plans to sojourn the area, residents accidental they are yet to person tangible relief.
In Imo State, the National Emergency Management Agency confirmed that 27 villages successful Oguta Local Government Area had been submerged by floodwaters. Seven villages successful Ohaji/Egbema LGA, including Olokwu, were besides affected, on with flash floods reported successful parts of Owerri West LGA, specified arsenic Oforola, Avu, New Owerri, and the Akachi area.
A farmer, Amanze Okoro, told The PUNCH that helium and his household had to relocate temporarily to their in-laws’ location successful Owerri. “We had nary choice. Our workplace and location were wholly taken implicit by water,” helium said.
In Rivers State, continuous rainfall has led to flash flooding successful parts of Port Harcourt and Obio/Akpor LGAs. Areas affected see Amaechi Drive successful GRA, Odili Road, and the Obi Wali axis of Rumuigbo.
Environmental rights activistic and Executive Director of Youths and Environmental Advocacy Centre, Dr. Fyneface Dumnamene, urged the authorities to state a authorities of exigency successful the flood-prone areas.
“Flash floods are present a regular occurrence. What we request is exigency drainage clearing, assemblage sensitisation, and contiguous authorities action. We can’t halt the rain, but we tin forestall the suffering,” Dumnamene told The PUNCH successful a telephone interview.
With much rainfall predicted successful the coming weeks by the Nigerian Meteorological Agency, residents crossed the state are bracing for further hardship. Environmental experts pass that without proactive infrastructure investment, exigency preparedness, and assemblage education, Nigeria volition proceed to endure the devastating consequences of seasonal flooding.
States prepare
In Katsina State, pursuing NiMet’s prediction of imaginable floods successful Daura, Jibia, Funtua, and Bakori LGAs, the authorities authorities has designated superior and secondary schools arsenic impermanent shelters.
Binta Hussaini Dangane, Executive Secretary of the State Emergency Management Agency, said section exigency committees person been trained crossed the 34 LGAs to respond promptly to immoderate flood emergencies.
“The authorities has procured nutrient and non-food items, portion consciousness campaigns are ongoing,” she said, urging residents to debar dumping garbage successful waterways and to wide blocked drainages.
Despite dense and sustained rainfall successful Bayelsa State, flood power efforts — particularly successful Yenagoa — person truthful acold prevented terrible flooding.
Officials recognition ongoing desilting of earthy drainage channels and reconstruction projects similar the culvert astatine Osiri Road successful Ekeki. Head of the Bayelsa Flood and Erosion Control Directorate, Chief Walson Omusu, said the authorities remains “ready and proactive.”
The Sokoto State Emergency Management Agency and the National Emergency Management Agency person commenced a associated flood harm appraisal crossed aggregate communities successful the authorities pursuing days of torrential rainfall that caused wide destruction.
Assessment teams visited the astir affected section authorities areas — Yabo, Shagari, and Tureta — wherever hundreds of residents person been displaced, homes washed away, and farmlands submerged.
In Yabo LG, floodwaters ravaged full communities specified arsenic Shiyar Hegin-Rafi, Shiyar Sarkin Fawa, Shiyar Ubandoma, Shiyar Ubandawaki (Garkar Audu), and Kofar-Bai. Six rooms belonging to 1 Muhammadu Dan Nanuwa were wholly destroyed, portion 89-year-old Malam Bango Altine mislaid 5 rooms. The palace of the Sarkin Kabin Yabo besides suffered important damage.
In Shagari LG, much than 10 communities, including Lambara, Kambama, Jaredi, Kajiji, and Lokoko, were affected. Vast farmland successful Illela-Chofal was submerged, raising fears of nutrient insecurity. Local officials, led by catastrophe table serviceman Ibrahim Abubakar, reported extended demolition of crops and homes.
In Tureta LG, floods connected July 23 and 25 displaced implicit 250 radical crossed Inwala, Shiyar DanDile, and Lambar-Tureta. Two women were injured successful a gathering collapse, portion the location of a Federal Road Safety Corps official, Salisu Muhammad, was among those damaged. Tureta LGA Chairman, Hon. Aliyu Abubakar, blamed mediocre drainage systems for the disaster.
SEMA and NEMA accidental the information collected volition usher alleviation organisation and semipermanent flood mitigation efforts. Temporary shelters person already been acceptable up for displaced families, and officials pledged continued collaboration to fortify infrastructure and drainage.
Despite flood warnings by NiMet and NIHSA, Kano State has not recorded immoderate important flooding arsenic of aboriginal August. Authorities have, however, cautioned residents successful flood-prone communities downstream of the Tiga, Challawa, and Bagauda dams to enactment alert.
Similarly, the Nasarawa State Emergency Management Agency (NASEMA) confirmed that nary portion of the authorities has yet been flooded. Officials said they had launched sensitisation campaigns and prepared impermanent shelters successful Doma, Lafia, Toto, Awe, and Obi LGAs.
In Kaduna, determination person been nary reports of flooding contempt accordant rainfall. The authorities exigency bureau remains connected alert arsenic August and September typically spot highest flooding. Authorities are monitoring dam levels and upwind forecasts to guarantee swift response.
The Benue State Emergency Management Agency besides confirmed that nary flooding has been reported. Officials are, however, prepared to respond if necessary.
While Edo State has yet to grounds large flooding this year, communities adjacent the River Niger — including Udaba Odemokpa — stay connected the borderline arsenic dense rains are expected successful September.
In Benin City, areas similar Tomline on Lagos Road often flood aft rainfall. Traders accidental blocked drainages proceed to disrupt businesses.
The station Federal Government warns of five-day flooding successful 19 states archetypal appeared connected Nigeria Stories.
