The Federal Government announced on Thursday that at least ten states and the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, had experienced varying degrees of flooding or casualties due to increased rainfall.
According to The PUNCH, during a press briefing in Abuja, the Minister of Water Resources and Sanitation, Prof Joseph Utsev, issued a red alert, indicating that 21 additional states might face flooding.
This warning came after a severe downpour on Wednesday disrupted business and commercial activities in Lagos and Ogun states, causing a two-storey building to collapse in Mushin, Lagos, and preventing pupils from attending school.
Tragically, a pupil was swept away by floodwaters in the Ketu area of Lagos.
Utsev referred to the Annual Flood Outlook by the Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency, released in April, which identified 148 local government areas across 31 states as high flood risk zones.
The affected states include Adamawa, Akwa Ibom, Anambra, Bauchi, Bayelsa, Benue, Borno, Cross River, Delta, Ebonyi, Edo, Imo, Jigawa, Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Kebbi, Kogi, Kwara, Lagos, Nasarawa, Niger, Ogun, Ondo, Osun, Oyo, Plateau, Rivers, Sokoto, Taraba, and Yobe.
The minister also warned of a potential cholera spread due to the flooding. He noted that river flooding would commence this month, impacting states such as Ondo, Kaduna, Anambra, Benue, and Adamawa, among others.
Providing a national update on flooding, Utsev said, “It should be noted that some states have started experiencing varying levels of flooding and its associated disasters as early as April this year. So far, more than 10 states of the federation and the FCT have experienced one degree of flooding or the other with several casualties recorded including displacement of people and loss of property.”
He detailed recent flood incidents, including the June 24, 2024, flooding in Trade More Estate, Lugbe, in the FCT, resulting in two deaths and the submersion of several houses. Other affected areas include Anambra (Onitsha North), Edo (Benin), Benue (Makurdi), Kwara (Oke-Ero, Moro), Lagos (Agege, Alimosho, Ikorodu, Lagos Island, Ikeja, Eti-Osa), Ogun (Ijebu-Ode), Osun (Oriade), Nasarawa (Doma), Taraba (Takum, Sarduna), and Yobe.
Utsev emphasized that increasing rainfall, particularly in the southern parts of the country, would likely worsen flooding and the ongoing cholera outbreak, which had resulted in 63 deaths and 2,102 suspected cases as of June 30, 2024.
He attributed most flood incidents to urban/flash floods caused by intense, prolonged rainfall and poor drainage systems.
The Kainji and Jebba Dams on the River Niger and Shiroro Dam on the River Kaduna were still impounding water, with no releases yet, but river flooding is expected to begin in July, affecting states including Akwa Ibom, Anambra, Adamawa, Benue, Bayelsa, Cross River, Delta, Edo, Jigawa, Kogi, Kebbi, Kaduna, Niger, Nasarawa, Ondo, Ogun, Rivers, Taraba, and the FCT.
In April 2024, the 2024 Annual Flood Outlook by the Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency highlighted 148 local government areas in 31 states at high flood risk, 249 at moderate risk, and 377 at low risk.
Nigeria, located within the River Niger Basin shared with eight other countries, is particularly vulnerable to flooding when the upper basin areas flood.
As the hydrological year 2024/2025 begins, water levels at monitoring stations in Niamey and Jiderebode in Kebbi State, and Lokoja in Kogi State are normal, with no immediate cause for alarm. The Lagdo Dam in Cameroon is filling for hydropower generation, and monitoring continues.
The Director-General of NIHSA, Clement Nze, stressed the Federal Government’s advisory role, with enforcement and local actions falling to state authorities. Efforts to construct buffer dams alongside the Lagdo Dam in Cameroon are ongoing.
Residents of Lagos and Ogun communities are still assessing damages from Wednesday’s flooding. In Lagos, a pupil named Joshua drowned in Ketu after being swept away by floodwaters while returning from school.
In various areas, including Aguda, Agege, and Ikotun, residents reported significant property damage and displacement. In Ogun, the Ifo area saw ten communities affected by flooding due to river overflow, with significant property damage reported in Ijebu-Ode.
On Thursday, Lagos State’s Special Adviser on Environment, Olakunle Rotimi-Akodu, urged residents in low-lying areas to register with the Lagos State Residents Registration Agency for emergency planning.
Despite no temporary shelters being set up yet, he advised early relocation due to potential sudden floods.
He attributed the flooding to climate change and emphasized the importance of resident data for planning and emergency response.
