Nigerian Ministry of Environment warns 26 states and FCT of impending floods

The National Flood Early Warning Centre identified hundreds of communities as either critical-risk or high-risk flood zones. States in the critical-risk category include Abia, Adamawa, Akwa Ibom, Anambra, Bayelsa, Benue, Cross River, Delta, Ebonyi, Edo, Ekiti, Enugu, Imo, Kogi, Kwara, Lagos, Niger, Ogun, Ondo, Osun, Oyo, and Rivers. High-risk areas also include parts of Adamawa, the FCT, Kebbi, Kogi, Nasarawa, Plateau, and Taraba states.

The ministry advised residents and authorities in critical-risk communities to maintain immediate flood watch, identify evacuation routes, protect vulnerable households, and avoid activities in floodplains. For high-risk communities, recommendations include intensifying drainage clearance, monitoring culverts and stream channels, and community-level reporting of rainfall and river level changes. This warning comes as the rainy season intensifies, raising concerns about potential loss of life, property destruction, and displacement if preventive measures are not implemented.