30 states rush to avert flood crisis
Ahead of the rainy season, states have commenced measures to arrest the flooding expected to inundate no fewer than 1,249 communities in 176 local governments across 30 states and the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.
The measures include public enlightenment campaigns, dredging water channels, and relocating communities on river banks and floodplains.
On Thursday, the Federal Government announced that the states would witness heavy flooding between April and November.
The Minister of Water Resources and Sanitation, Prof Joseph Utsev, disclosed this at the unveiling of the 2025 Annual Flood Outlook by the Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency in Abuja.
Utsav identified the high flood-risk states as Abia, Adamawa, Akwa Ibom, Anambra, Bauchi, Bayelsa, Benue, Borno, Cross-River, Delta, Ebonyi, Edo, Gombe, Imo and Jigawa.
Others are Kebbi, Kogi, Kwara, Lagos, Nasarawa, Niger, Ogun, Ondo, Osun, Oyo, Rivers, Sokoto, Taraba, Yobe, Zamfara and the FCT.
The minister raised concerns that flooding remains one of the devastating natural disasters in Nigeria, with climate change accelerating its frequency and severity.
Utsav identified the high flood-risk states as Abia, Adamawa, Akwa Ibom, Anambra, Bauchi, Bayelsa, Benue, Borno, Cross-River, Delta, Ebonyi, Edo, Gombe, Imo and Jigawa.
Others are Kebbi, Kogi, Kwara, Lagos, Nasarawa, Niger, Ogun, Ondo, Osun, Oyo, Rivers, Sokoto, Taraba, Yobe, Zamfara and the FCT.
The minister raised concerns that flooding remains one of the devastating natural disasters in Nigeria, with climate change accelerating its frequency and severity.
He also predicted that coastal and riverine areas such as Bayelsa, Cross River, Delta, Lagos, Ogun, Rivers and Ondo would experience flooding due to the rise in sea level and tidal surge, and this would impact fishing, wildlife habitation and river navigation.
“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.
