Nigerian govt alerts states of impending floods this August

The Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency (NIHSA) has warned of flooding in certain parts of the country, including Lagos, Rivers, the FCT, and 28 other states.

In a flood alert issued on Thursday, NIHSA said the alert followed rising river levels and persistent rainfall across the country.

The agency’s Director General, Umar Ibrahim, cautioned of high to very high flood risks between August 7 and August 21.

It listed the affected states to include Adamawa, Akwa Ibom, Anambra, Bauchi, Bayelsa, Benue, Borno, Cross River, Delta, Ebonyi, Edo, FCT, Gombe, Imo, Jigawa, Kaduna, Kebbi, Kogi, Kwara, Lagos, and Nasarawa.

Others, it said, are Niger, Ogun, Ondo, Plateau, Rivers, Sokoto, Taraba, Yobe, and Zamfara.

A total of 198 LGAs and 832 communities fall within the projected flood impact zone, NiHSA said

“Possible disruption of major transportation routes is anticipated,” NIHSA stated, citing data from its colour-coded flood risk map.

The agency urged emergency management stakeholders to activate their response protocols and advised that evacuation plans be put in place for communities at risk.

It also encouraged residents and stakeholders to follow its weekly state-level and community-specific forecasts and to stay informed via the NIHSA flood dashboard and official social media platforms.

The alert is part of NIHSA’s ongoing efforts to mitigate the growing impact of seasonal flooding, which continues to displace thousands and damage infrastructure annually.