Nigeria is bracing for severe flooding expected to affect 1,249 communities across 30 states and the Federal Capital Territory between April and November.
State governments have begun implementing preventive measures, including public awareness campaigns, dredging water channels, and relocating vulnerable communities from riverbanks and floodplains.
The Minister of Water Resources and Sanitation, Prof Joseph Utsev, revealed these predictions during the unveiling of the 2025 Annual Flood Outlook by the Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency in Abuja on Thursday.
According to BusinessDay, high-risk states include Abia, Adamawa, Akwa Ibom, Anambra, Bauchi, Bayelsa, Benue, Borno, Cross-River, Delta, Ebonyi, Edo, Gombe, Imo, Jigawa, Kebbi, Kogi, Kwara, Lagos, Nasarawa, Niger, Ogun, Ondo, Osun, Oyo, Rivers, Sokoto, Taraba, Yobe, Zamfara and the FCT.
“The 2025 Annual Flood Outlook shows that 1,249 communities in 176 Local Government Areas in 30 States and FCT fall within the High Flood Risk Areas, while 2,187 communities in 293 LGAs in 36 states of the federation and the FCT fall within the Moderate Flood Risk Areas,” Utsev stated.
Coastal and riverine areas such as Bayelsa, Cross River, Delta, Lagos, Ogun, Rivers and Ondo will face additional challenges from rising sea levels and tidal surges, impacting fishing, wildlife habitation and river navigation.
The Anambra State Emergency Management Agency has alerted residents in ten flood-prone local government areas and begun clearing blocked drainage systems. The state has maintained evacuation camps ready for vulnerable residents.
Kwara State
Kwara has started expanding the Asa River, which frequently causes flooding in Ilorin. The state government has directed the dredging of waterways and advised residents near rivers to relocate to safer areas.
Gombe State
“As witnessed during the last year’s rainy season, Gombe didn’t experience flooding due to adequate and timely de-silting of drainages and storm drains, which is a continuous exercise as Messrs Cosmopolitan are engaged to sanitise the state and de-silt it drainage and storm drains,” said Amos Fabulous, Spokesperson for the Gombe State Ministry of Water Environment and Forest Resources.
He added that the completion of the 21km Federal College of Education Technical gully erosion control project has provided adequate water channels, along with another project from behind the International Hotel to the commissioner of police residence.
Delta State
The Delta State Commissioner for Environment, Mr. Jamani Ejiro, explained, “Before the Federal Government’s announcement on flood, we have already started sensitization, telling our people the danger of flooding. Before the rain comes, we have already opened our water channel and cleared the drains. We are on top of the situation.”
Nasarawa State
The Nasarawa State Emergency Management Agency has deployed officials to flood-prone areas and is setting up temporary settlements for potentially displaced persons. The agency’s Director of Planning, Research and Statistics, Danladi Obagu, identified Nasarawa, Toto, Doma, Awe, Lafia, Obi, Karu and Akwanga as LGAs typically affected by flooding.
Borno State
The acting Director General of the Borno State Emergency Management Agency, Ali Abdullahi, said the agency established a committee three months ago to implement flood prevention initiatives across the state, working closely with NIMET.
Bayelsa State
The Bayelsa State Directorate of Flood and Erosion Control plans to clear canals in the state capital, Yenagoa, before May to address flash floods, according to Chief Walson Omusu, head of the directorate.
Bauchi State
The Bauchi State Emergency Management Agency has sustained awareness campaigns in flood-prone communities and is reconstructing bridges affected during the last rainy season.
Ogun State
The Ogun State Commissioner for Environment, Ola Oresanya, said the government is engaging with all 20 local governments to implement flood alerts based on NiMET predictions. “We have issued our flood alert some weeks back, and we are also domesticating this with our local governments. We have told them to tell their people to clean their drainage and not obstruct the waterways for any reason,” he stated.
The state is dredging the downstream section of the Ogun River to increase its carrying capacity and opening more tributaries. They are also coordinating with the Ogun-Osun River Basin Development Authority to manage water release during the September-October coastal and river flooding period. Communities in flood-prone areas have been advised to either elevate their structures or evacuate to safer locations.
Officials stress that with proper planning and infrastructure, the impacts of flooding can be mitigated, unlike other natural disasters.
