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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.

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.

“Flash and urban flooding are projected in major cities in the country due to high rainfall intensities, low attention to the management of water facilities, including drainage systems, waterways and a lack of flood resilience structures.

“Nevertheless, the flood, unlike other natural disasters, can be contained with proper planning and provision of necessary infrastructure. Rather than just general predictions, forecasts are now tailored to specific communities, enhancing actionable communication and preparedness at the grassroots level,” he stated.

Earlier in his address, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Water Resources and Sanitation, Richard Pheelangwah, urged stakeholders to prioritise early response.

He said, “This outlook isn’t just about numbers, it’s about protecting lives and livelihoods.”

The Director General and Chief Executive Officer of NIHSA, Umar Mohammed, noted that this year’s flood forecast goes beyond mapping LGAs and now identifies specific communities at risk.

Mohammed added that the AFO’s enhanced methodology is the result of continuous feedback, technological advancement, and broad inter-agency collaboration.

“We are transforming flood data into real-time decisions and impactful resilience-building. Our focus has expanded to assess sectoral impacts on health, education, agriculture, and infrastructure, offering more robust tools to policymakers and disaster risk managers,” he stated.

Responding to the forecast, the Anambra State Emergency Management Agency said it has alerted residents living in flood-prone local government areas and communities to be prepared as their territories may be inundated from April.

The Deputy Publicity Secretary of the agency, Uche Okalawan, disclosed that the state authorities have started clearing blocked drainages and evacuating structures blocking the free flow of water.

Okalawan listed 10 local government areas out of the 21 LGs in the state that are flood-risk areas.

He listed them to include Ogbaru, Ayamelum, Anambra East, Anambra West, Onitsha South, Onitsha North, Awka North, Idemili South, Ekwusigo and Ihiala.

He said, “The state government has started de-silting water channels and clearing blocked drainages. Residents of these communities have been notified and alerted to the impending flooding.

“In the event of flooding, the internally displaced persons camps set up by the state governor, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, are still in place, and the elderly, women and children will be moved to the camps immediately.

“The state government equally urged them to contact their local government emergency management committee.”

The Kwara State government explained it is expanding the river course in areas prone to flooding, advising people to relocate from flood-prone areas and admonishing residents against dumping waste in waterways.

The state Commissioner for Environment, Hajia Nafisat Buge, said that the government has been working on measures to prevent flooding in the state.

Buge revealed that the state has begun the expansion of Asa River, which has been identified as a major cause of flooding in Ilorin and some local government areas.

“The state government under the leadership of Mallam AbdulRaman AbdulRazaq has directed that the water course in Asa River and other waterways be dredged for expansion to give way for free flow of water during the raining season.

“We have also taken proactive measures in areas listed by the Nigerian Meteorological Agency. The government has also asked people living near the river in Ilorin metropolis, Patigi, Edu, Moro and other local government areas prone to flooding to relocate while it has embarked on the construction of dykes or levees, an embankment along a riverbank or coastal shoreline, to prevent the flow of floodwaters while those living near the river have been advised to move from the area,” she noted.

She stressed the need for dredging, construction of more buffers and afforestation to address flooding in communities.



https://punchng.com/fg-alert-30-states-rush-to-avert-flood-crisis/