Utsev gave the warning in Abuja on Wednesday at the public presentation of the 2026 Annual Flood Outlook, AFO, by the Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency, NIHSA.

He said the high-risk communities were located in 266 local government areas based on scientific forecasts and hydrological assessments.

The affected states, according to him are Abia, Adamawa, Anambra, Bauchi, Bayelsa, Benue, Borno, Cross River, Delta, Ebonyi, Edo, Enugu, Gombe, Imo, Jigawa, Kaduna and Kano.

Others include Kebbi, Kogi, Kwara, Lagos, Nasarawa, Niger, Ogun, Ondo, Osun, Oyo, Plateau, Rivers, Sokoto, Taraba, Yobe and Zamfara, including the FCT.

The minister said that 15,597 communities in 405 local government areas across 35 states would face moderate flood risk, while Ekiti remained the only state not affected.

He added that 923 communities in 77 local government areas across 24 states fell within the low flood risk category.

“States in this category include Adamawa, Anambra, Bauchi, Bayelsa, Benue, Borno, Cross River, Delta, Ebonyi, Edo, Jigawa, Kaduna, Kano, Kebbi, Kogi, Nasarawa, Niger, Ogun, Ondo, Osun, Oyo, Sokoto, Taraba and Zamfara,” he said.

He warned of possible flash and urban flooding in major cities, including Abuja, Lagos, Port Harcourt, Ibadan and Kano.

He said coastal and riverine flooding was expected in Bayelsa, Cross River, Delta, Lagos, Ogun, Rivers and Ondo due to rising sea levels and tidal surges.

”The AFO is not just a scientific report; it is a call to action. Early warning saves lives and reduces economic losses,” he emphasised.

Utsev attributed increasing flood incidents to climate variability, rapid urbanisation, inadequate drainage infrastructure and poor land-use practices.

He revealed that the federal government was strengthening hydrological monitoring through improved data systems, automated river gauges and advanced modelling techniques.

He added that collaboration with the Nigerian Meteorological Agency, NiMet, and the National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA, were being enhanced to improve forecast accuracy and early warning dissemination.

The minister urged state governments to integrate flood risk considerations into land-use planning, urban development and infrastructure design.

He also called for improved drainage systems, effective floodplain management and stronger community preparedness to minimise impacts.

Earlier, President Bola Tinubu, represented by the Minister of Environment, Balarabe Lawal, said flooding remained a major national challenge, with recurring incidents recorded since 2012.

Tinubu said his administration had initiated policies and programmes, including flood control projects, to address the persistent threat.

He said that the 2024 Maiduguri flood marked a turning point toward proactive flood and disaster management.

According to him, the Anticipatory Action initiative, led by the Office of the Vice-President, is strengthening early warning, preparedness and coordinated response.

Tinubu described the AFO as a key planning document guiding early action, mitigation and evacuation strategies nationwide.

He urged stakeholders to utilise the forecasts to protect lives, livelihoods and critical infrastructure.

The president also emphasised the need to harness water resources to drive economic diversification and sustainable development.

Also speaking, the Director-General of NIHSA, Umar Mohammed, said the forecast was based on comprehensive, data-driven analysis of flood-prone areas.

Mohammed said the AFO served as an early warning tool to support planning and coordinated disaster response nationwide.

He added that the agency had upgraded its forecasting system to a hybrid AI-integrated model to improve accuracy and lead time.

He also said that the Flood Dashboard now enabled real-time monitoring and dissemination of alerts to stakeholders.

He urged residents in vulnerable areas to heed early warnings and adopt preventive measures to reduce risks.

The NIHSA director general called for wider dissemination of the outlook to strengthen preparedness and resilience in communities.

He appreciated the federal government and development partners for their support in the preparation of the 2026 outlook.

Goodwill messages were delivered by representatives of the World Meteorological Organisation, NiMet, NEMA, the Minister of Livestock Development, Dr Idi Maiha, and other stakeholders.

Source: NAN

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The post Flood alert: 14, 118 communities identified as high risk nationwide appeared first on Frontpageng.

The Commissioner for Environment, Ola Oresanya, who stated this at a news conference on Thursday in Abeokuta, said the flood alert was part of the ministry’s adaptation and mitigation strategies to enlighten the citizens of the state of the vulnerability of various settlements and communities around the state.

He said the ministry yearly, must issue flood alert to residents towards raising their consciousness about flood and its adverse impacts on the environment and socio-economic life of the people.

He said: “As part of our adaptation and mitigation strategies, an annual flood alert is issued by the Ministry of Environment to inform and enlighten the citizens of the extent of vulnerability of various settlements and communities in the State. This we have continued to do in the last four years with positive impact.

“This year, NIMET in its predictions highlights the likelihood of heavy downpour with intensity ranging from 965mm to 1805mm which raises concern for communities nationwide that are already vulnerable to flooding and its possible impact. The rainfall predictions for Ogun State commenced early this month, March while Little Dry Spell, LDS, is expected in the state from the 21st of July, and it will last between 27 to 40 days.

“In addition, the NIMET predictions shows that in April – June, there is likely to be Severe Dry Spell above 15 days after the establishment of rainfall. The prediction also identified 16 local government areas as flood prone zones.

“To mitigate impact of two the seasons of flood in the state, the state government in the last 5 years have de-silted 988.3km of rivers/streams, and drainage channels; constructed 698m in length of concrete drainages and culverts of various cross-sections. Presently, de-silting of rivers/streams and drainage channels, construction of drainages and culverts are ongoing in various parts of the state to further reiterate the State Government’s determination to reduce the impact of flood in the State. The execution of the projects will commence in April, and this cut across three senatorial districts of the State.”

READ ALSO: Ogun: Rainstorm kills student, destroys school

He added that in the bid to further mitigate flooding in wetland areas of Isheri, Akute and Warewa, the state government had concluded plans to create more tributaries for Ogun Rivers and complete the dredging of Opa Aro River, saying the project had been billed to commence in April in phases, and with the de-silting of the Banku River to Majidun and Mawarere.

The commissioner explained that already, the retention for flood in the area had reduced from annual average of six weeks to three weeks in 2024, being the positive outcome of approval given by Governor Dapo Abiodun for the dredging of Oparo Rivers as a prove of concept for mitigation of adverse impact of flooding in Isheri community.

“In continuation of the efforts of the government to minimize occurrence of flood in the state, residents of Ijebu-Ode, Ota, Owode, Abeokuta, Onihale in Ifo, Sagamu, Iperu and Ilishan are advised to be wary of flash flood expected between March and July.

“Meanwhile, those living on floodplains of Isheri, Akute, Warewa, Oke-Afa, Owa and Yemule River banks in Ijebu-Ode, Ifaara, Ebute-Oni, Ayede-Ayila, Makun, Iwopin and Igele in Ogun Waterside, Ebute-Imobi in Ijebu East, Sokori, Arakanga and Onikoko River all in Abeokuta, Eruwuru, Eri, Ibu, Majopa, Odan and Sensen in Sagamu, and Ijamido, Ilo, Erukomu, Isakale, in Ado Odo/Ota Local Government Area among others are advised to relocate to safer grounds before the coastal flood between September and November.

“Also, motorists, bike-riders and other road users are advised not to enter or cross flooded roads during rainfall. Community Development Associations (CDAs) are enjoined to educate their residents not to dump refuse on drainage channels and rivers/streams, build on run-off routes or engage in other environmental hazardous activities as the state government will not shy from applying maximum consequences for such inordinate behavior.

“Farmers in the state are advised to follow the rainfall prediction pattern and plan the planting scheme in line with the weather forecast to prevent damage to their crops and livestock,” he added.

The Commissioner, therefore, enjoined all the twenty local government chairmen to domesticate the NIMET weather prediction for their various CDAs and community stakeholders in local languages for proper planning towards the rainy season.

He stressed that the State Emergency Management Authority, SEMA, had assured the residents of the state of its readiness to perform its statutory roles optimally in case of emergency evacuation to designated IDP camps located strategically around the state.

He further hinted that the Ministry of Environment would collaborate with the Ogun-Osun River Basin Development Authority, OORBDA, to monitor the periodic release of water from Oyan dam especially during the peak of raining season for the purpose of mitigating the impact of the overflow of Ogun River on the vulnerable wet land communities.

“In conclusion, let me assure visitors and residents that Ogun State government is committed to maximizing the benefits of the 2025 raining season for food production and to support the national aspiration on food security. I therefore enjoin all stakeholders to sign-up to a joint action to enable Ogun State to prevail during this raining season. Raining season is not a curse, but a blessing. We should therefore be prepared to benefit maximally from this gift of nature,” Oresanya said.

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The rain according to the Nigeria Meteorological Agency, NIMET, and the Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency, NIHSA, would commence from March and end in December, 2024 with an average rainy period of 239 days and an average precipitation of 1786.5mm, affecting sixteen out of the twenty local government areas of the state.

The state Commissioner for Environment, Mr. Ola Oresanya, who made this known during the year 2024 Ogun State Flood Alert in conjunction with the Ogun-Osun River Basin Development Authority, OORBDA, held at the Olusegun Osoba Press Center, Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta, also said that local government areas such as Imeko-Afon, Odeda, Abeokuta North and Abeokuta South would experience the lowest rainfall.

The commissioner, while noting that people who are located in the hilly areas are going to experience erosion as a result of the speed of the water, called for calm as the state government was putting measures in place to cushion the effects of the expected heavy rainfall.

“It is either you relocate from the area or you elevate; may be you want to reconstruct your house or do some kind of elevation if you must stay in that area. Every year, we talk about relocation. It is not easy to relocate. If you must leave in those areas, make sure that your electronics, your chairs, whatever can be damaged is being elevated.

“When we talk about relocation and elevation, it is going to be predominantly around this area. People leaving within the wetland of the state are supposed to prepare for this increase in the height of the water because we are going to have a retention of this lockdown around this period.

“So, people who are located in the hill areas are going to have some kind of erosion because of the speed the water will take in running down around the Ilaro area and some areas in Ota. We are going to have what we call erosion that is going to accompany this kind of flooding for the year.

“The other areas that we will have the impact which is later on are people that are leaving within the wetland of the state and the wetland area are predominantly Southern parts of the state and these are almost flat land, low line land because this are the border towns between Lagos and Ogun State,” he said.

Oresanya also said that the state government was set to complement its various efforts at addressing the menace of flooding with the construction of 2,975.6m length of drainage channels and mini-bridges/culverts and the desilting and clearing of 56.150m length of river across the state.

“The state government wishes to complement its efforts in addressing the menace of flooding by the construction of 2,975.6m length of drainage channels and mini bridges/culverts, desilt and clear 56.159m length of river/stream courses and desilt 40,000m length of drainage channels across the three senatorial districts of the state.

“Some of the areas include construction of drainage channels and culverts at Wesley Primary School, Ijebu-Ode; reconstruction of dilapidated culvert at Saje Dumpsite road; Apakila (Abeokuta); Igbosoro (Ogijo, Sagamu), Imasai, desilting of rivers/stream courses at Yemile (Ijebu-Ode); Sensen river (Sagamu), Onibuku (Ota); Odo-funfun (Oja-Odan), Opa Aro (Isheri), Sokori river and tributaries while desilting of drainages channel will take place at Abeokuta, Ifo, Ijebu-Ode, Sagamu, Ilaro, Ota among others,” he said

The commissioner, who noted that the length of the raining season for the coastal areas ranged between 250 to 292 days while that of inland areas was between 200 to 250 days, encouraged farmers to start planting.

He urged fish farmers to harvest before the peak of the raining season in July and advised poultry farmers against stocking density during the period, which started two months back.

Oresanya also called on the people of the state to apply for ‘drainage permit’ before constructing their drainages.

This, he said, would ensure that drainages have the right elevation for the passage of water.

The drainage permit, he added, would guide residents against building on flood plains and wetlands unknowingly during the dry season.

In his remarks, the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Ogun-Osun River Basin Development Authority (OORBDA; Engr. Olufemi Odumosu, said that OORBDA had been holistic while focusing on the structural measures for flood control.

According to him, Oyan Dam had been responsible for the supply of bulk water to Ogun and Lagos states, irrigation infrastructure for agriculture, flood control, hydro power generation potentials, researches and transportation as well as tourism which he said was yet to be fully tapped.

Odumosu mulled the need for a collaboration between OORBDA and the Ogun State government in the area of tourism, saying that the partnership would help to generate more revenue.

The post Flooding: Ogun alerts residents, calls for relocation appeared first on Frontpageng.

Utsev issued this warning during the official unveiling of the 2024 Annual Flood Outlook, AFO, on Monday in Abuja.

The theme of this year’s AFO is “Promoting the Use of Data Analytics and Modeling for Flood Risk Assessments and Food Security.”

The Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency, NIHSA, leads AFO yearly predictions.

The identified states are: Adamawa, Akwa-Ibom, Anambra, Bauchi, Bayelsa, Benue, Borno, Cross-River, Delta, Ebonyi, Edo, Imo, Jigawa, Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Kebbi and Kogi.

Others are: Kwara, Lagos, Nasarawa, Niger, Ogun, Ondo, Osun, Oyo, Plateau, Rivers, Sokoto, Taraba, and Yobe.

Utsev emphasised the importance of proactive measures to mitigate potential flood impacts in these areas.

He said there was need for preparedness, early warning systems, and community engagement to minimise damage to lives and property.

The minister said that the high flood risk areas spanned from April to November 2024; with potential impacts on population, agriculture, livelihoods, livestock, infrastructure, and the environment.

He highlighted the theme’s alignment with the Presidential Agenda on Food Security as it was central to the current administration’s goal of lifting millions of Nigerians out of poverty and advancing towards national prosperity.

Utsev said Nigeria had faced recurrent and severe flood disasters over the years, with 2012 marked as one of the most devastating recorded events.

“The 2022 floods were particularly catastrophic, being termed the worst in the country’s history in terms of impact magnitude.

“The World Bank estimated the total economic damage from the 2022 floods, including damage to residential and non-residential buildings, infrastructure, productive sectors, and farmlands, at approximately 6.68 billion dollars.

“In response to the ongoing challenges posed by flooding, President Bola Tinubu initiated the National Economic Council Ad-hoc Committee on Flood Mitigation, Adaptation, Preparedness, and Response,’’ he said.

The minister said the committee’s mandate was to proactively develop a comprehensive roadmap aimed at enhancing Nigeria’s flood mitigation, preparedness, adaptation, and communication infrastructure.

Earlier, Prof. Charles Anosike, Director General, Nigerian Meteorological Agency, NIMET, said that the partnership between NIHSA and his organisation, was pivotal in enhancing the nation’s disaster preparedness.

He said that the collaboration had notably improved efforts in mitigating the impact of flooding through early warning systems.

According to him, it was a critical initiative aimed at addressing the escalating frequency and severity of flooding incidents across the country.

He underscored the imperative of leveraging data, analytics, and modelling in flood risk assessment and management, citing NIMET’s commitment to providing comprehensive meteorological insights for informed decision-making.

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Referencing a UNICEF report on the extensive damage inflicted by flooding on agricultural lands in the previous year, he stressed the urgency of integrating forecast information into national policies and interventions.

He reaffirmed NIMET’s dedication to collaborating with NIHSA and other stakeholders to deliver timely and accurate weather forecasts tailored to meet the diverse needs of communities nationwide.

Zubaida Umar, the Director General of the National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA, underscored the significance of the AFO released by NIHSA.

Umar noted the increasing prevalence of flooding in Nigeria and its devastating consequences, including loss of lives, property damage, displacement, and disruption of livelihoods.

She stressed the urgent need for proactive measures to mitigate the impact of flooding across the country.

Umar commended the AFO as a crucial tool for informed decision-making and action to enhance the nation’s preparedness for floods, noting the longstanding partnership between NEMA and NIHSA in flood risk management.

She said that NEMA relied on the AFO to develop its annual Climate Related Hazard preparedness and response strategy, which served as an early warning message for Nigeria.

On his part, Clement Nze, NIHSA Director-General, harped on the need to promote a better understanding of flood risks and implementing appropriate mitigation measures to address the challenges of flooding in Nigeria.

He stressed the essential role of encouraging collaboration among disaster risk managers, earth observers, mission makers, and other stakeholders to enhance preparedness and flood control measures.

Nze said the collaborative efforts were critical to effectively managing flood risks and minimising the impact of flooding on communities and infrastructure across the country.

Source: NAN

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Dr Abbas Idriss, the Director-General, FEMA, said this in a statement signed by Nkechi Isa, the Head, Public Affairs, FEMA, on Friday in Abuja.

He said that 116 houses were submerged, but no life was lost, following a heavy downpour which started in the early hours of the day.

Idriss said that the flood which was caused by infractions on the water channels, had made the Estate to be vulnerable to flooding.

The FEMA boss dismissed social media reports alleging that a resident of the estate was missing as a result of the flood.

He however appealed to residents whose houses were built on water channels to relocate.

Idriss who said that the Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency, NIHSA, had predicted heavy flooding in the FCT this year, also advised residents living in flood prone areas to relocate.

He called on the residents to use the 112 Emergency toll free number to report emergencies.

Source: NAN

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He said the country could experience more flooding because of a combination of climate change factors, population growth, urbanisation, economic development and poor drainage systems.

Nze made the disclosure on Friday while making a presentation at a webinar organised by the Nigerian Institution of Water Engineers.

He explained that changes in climate precipitation, river change flow regime and rise in sea level would increase the likelihood of floods in the country.

The paper presentation had the theme: “Overview of 2021 Annual flood Outlook (AFO): Update on Flooding Situation in The Country.”

The webinar attracted more than 100 participants, including experts and key players in the water sector who looked at the causes, mitigation measures, flood forecasting and management.

They also made recommendations.

“As the rainy season advances, more states in the country have started experiencing floods; this agrees with the flood scenarios presented in the 2021 Annual Flood Outlook (AFO).

“Some of the states that have already experienced floods in 2021 are Lagos, Taraba, Ekiti, Kwara, Ondo and Delta and which were accompanied by heavy rainfalls and strong winds.

“The Lagos situation is made worse by the rising sea level from Arctic ice melting in the last decade.

“However, this is not peculiar to Nigeria alone, but the world over. In July alone, Europe, Germany, and Belgium are reported to have experienced intense rainstorms swelling streams that have washed away houses and vehicles, triggering massive landslides,” he said.

Nze stated that NIHSA had made efforts towards improving flood forecasting and management through the publication of the Annual Flood Outlook (AFO).

He said the public was engaged on flood sensitisation workshops, updating hydrological database and improving on the hydrological modelling system.

“Installation of Flood Early Warning and Alerts System, at some identified flood hotspots around the country; publication of monthly flood and drought monitor, staff training, and improving synergy among the relevant government agencies mitigate flood disasters in the country,” he said.

He added that legislation enforcement and review of environmental laws, enforcement and review of housing, land use, urban and regional planning rules and regulations were urgent measures needed to be taken into consideration to control the risk of further flooding in the country.

Those in attendance included, Prof. Salihu Mustafa, former Vice Chancellor, Federal University of Technology, Yola.

Many professional bodies, including the Nigerian Society of Engineers, Nigerian Association of Hydrological Sciences, NAHS, and the Nigerian Association of Hydro-geologists were represented.

Source: NAN

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The Director-General of the agency, Mr Ahmed Habib, while presenting the document in Abuja, said the report would support NEMA’s partners to disseminate early warning messages to the public.

He said that the document was the outcome of the detailed analysis of the Seasonal Climate Prediction and Annual Flood Outlook earlier released by the Nigerian Meteorological Agency, NiMet, and the Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency, NIHSA, respectively.

“This document will also identify communities at risk and safe locations for the setting up of temporary shelters through its risk mapping.

“The document also enables planning for the stockpiling and prepositioning of humanitarian relief for appropriate and timely intervention to persons affected by floods and associated hazards,” he said.

Habib, who called on the media to help disseminate information on disaster mitigation, adaption, response and recovery, added that the agency would also deploy new and traditional communication channels.

“It has become necessary to deploy new and traditional communication pathways including the radio, television, town criers and social media to take this message to vulnerable communities.

“As we always say at NEMA, every disaster happens in a particular community, in a particular local government and in a particular state.

“Disasters are always local, we must therefore give local responders the right information to enable effective disaster risk communication.

“We must match early warning with early action to save lives, safeguard livelihoods and our collective resilience,” he said.

In his remarks, the Director-General, NIHSA, Mr Clement Nze,  assured of his agency’s readiness to collaborate with NEMA in their mandate of making the country disaster free.

NiMet had predicted an annual rainfall amount of between “normal rainfalls to above-normal” for most parts of the country.

NIHSA in its 2021 Flood Outlook, predicted that 121 local government areas in 27 states and the FCT will expect a high probability of flood, while 302 local government areas will experience moderate risk of floods.

Source: NAN

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The Director General of the agency, Mr Clement Nze, gave the floods warning while briefing newsmen in Abuja.

Nze said that the warning became necessary as it served to alert Nigerians that the country would soon experience the peak of flooding season for the year 2019.

“The localised urban flooding incidents being witnessed in some cities and communities in the country are expected to continue.

“The flooding incidents are due to high rainfall intensity of long duration, rainstorms, blockage of drainage system and poor urban planning resulting in erection of structures within the floodplains and waterways.

“River flooding as well as coastal flooding is expected to come into place as the nation approaches the peak of raining season.

“Therefore, states and local governments should endeavour to remove structures built within the floodplains, clear blocked drainage, culverts and other waterways,’’ he said.

Nze said that the agency was closely monitoring the flooding across the country with the attendant loss of lives and property.

He said that the flooding were manifesting as predicted by the agency.

“This means that the relevant stakeholders, especially the individuals and state governments have failed to heed the non-adherence to flood predictions for 2019, thereby resulting in avoidable flooding incidents leading to loss of lives and property, disruption of economic activities and loss of several hectares of agricultural lands,’’ he said.

The director general said that since 2013, the agency had continued to publish Annual Flood Outlook (AFO), following the devastating effect of the 2012 flood.

He said that the AFO report and effective sensitisation campaign by the agency had been saving the country from huge revenue losses due to flooding.

He said that AFO was a means of producing early flood warning information for stakeholders to use as yardstick for taking action to mitigate flood related disasters.

Nze, however, said that flood forecasting and flood early warning was the agency`s mandate.

He said that the 36 states including the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, would witness different levels of flooding in 2019.

He added that out of the 774 local government areas of the country, 74 were predicted to be highly probable.

“279 local government areas are probable areas of flood and 421 are predicted to be less probable,’’ he said.

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