Floods are synonymous with rainy seasons and can be very unpredictable. This is due to the uncertain nature of where the excess water overflow could come from. Several factors have, over the years, triggered heavy flooding in Nigeria even when the rains may not be heavy.
In Nigeria, the rainy season often brings bad news. As the rains grow heavier and more frequent, both the government and citizens are gripped by the fear of flooding. Numerous areas have already suffered from floods, with varying degrees of damage to infrastructure and tragic loss of lives.
Very recently, devastating floods have hit several agrarian regions of Nigeria, resulting in significant losses. According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, in 2024, flooding affected 7.5 million people across 18 countries in West and Central Africa. Chad was the hardest hit, with 1.9 million people affected, followed by Niger (1.5 million), Nigeria (1.3 million), and DR Congo (1.2 million).
Haruna Markus is a farmer based in Mokwa, in Niger State, Nigeria, and recounted his losses after a bridge collapsed .” I have a vegetable farm where I survive after being retrenched from my previous job. This particular farm provides me with tomatoes, peppers, and various vegetable crops. I couldn’t go close to the raging flood when I saw it sweep across my farmland at high speed.
“I only prayed in my heart that when it flows away into the river that something should be left for me to feed my family with. This did not happen. As I speak, my farm is like a football field as I just planted again, but still afraid the floods will come again. We need the government to help us.”
Another respondent, Alhaji Gambo, who supplies yams to Ibadan, Lagos, and other cities in Nigeria, lamented the huge loss from the flood.
‘ A night before the unfortunate incident, a truck had arrived from Jebba to convey some orders for me to Lagos. I had just escorted him to a welder who helped him fix up a damaged part of his truck. The next day, we woke up to see our storage farm overtaken by flood, and not a single yam was seen either floating or heaped. I can’t imagine how I feel right now. This situation applies to most of my friends, too.
“Government should please come to our aid as farmers because some of us will be forced to sell at excessive prices to cover up some loss,” he concluded.
By July 2025, approximately 129,000 people had been impacted by floods in the Central African Republic, the Congo, Nigeria, DR Congo, and Ghana.
These floods have severely disrupted livelihoods and basic social services. In Nigeria and the Central African Republic alone, at least 5,300 houses have been destroyed or damaged, 3,800 of which are in Nigeria. Over 5,300 hectares of farmland have also been affected, posing serious threats to food security.
Since the onset of flooding this year, at least 361 people have died, while up to 600 people, especially farmers and families, remain unaccounted for following deadly floods that swept through Mokwa, Niger State, last month.
According to the latest UN Global Assessment Report on Disaster Risk Reduction, “disaster costs now exceed $2.3 trillion annually when cascading and ecosystem costs are taken into account.”
NiMET recently warned that Sokoto State faces a high risk of flash floods. Other states with notable risk are Kaduna, Zamfara, Yobe, Bauchi, Bayelsa, Jigawa, Adamawa, Taraba, Niger, Nasarawa, Benue, Ogun, Ondo, Lagos, Delta, Edo, Cross River, Rivers, and Akwa Ibom.
Residents in these states have been advised to evacuate, if necessary, clear drainage systems, prepare emergency kits, turn off electricity and gas during floods, strengthen mudslide prevention measures, and promote community awareness. Children should be kept at home whenever flooding is observed along their routes to school.
Despite collecting over N620 billion in ecological funds over 14 years to support environmental sustainability and disaster management, states have failed to protect their communities from the ravages of flooding.
A June 2025 report by SBM Intelligence revealed that since July 2024, floods have inundated 31 of Nigeria’s 36 states, affecting roughly 1.2 million people. The deluge has destroyed an estimated 180,000 hectares of cultivated farmland, delivering a severe blow to the country’s agricultural productivity.
Policy lapses have worsened the problem, particularly concerning the yearly release of excess water from dams within Nigeria and the Lagdo Dam in Cameroon.
Overflows from dams remain a critical issue, alongside ongoing challenges of coastal erosion and flooding.
Agreements to construct mid-level dams to contain excess water from the Lagdo Dam have yet to be implemented.
The Federal Government, through the National Emergency Management Agency and state emergency management agencies, must brace up for the upcoming floods to prevent further loss of lives and property in 2025 and beyond. Flooding is a seasonal challenge that demands proactive planning by governments and their agencies.
Relief centres should be established for those displaced by flooding, with clear plans to return them to their homes as quickly and safely as possible.
While many residents of low-lying areas may resist evacuation, government and aid agencies must take necessary interventionist measures to save lives.
Nigeria must build resilience with support from willing development partners to significantly mitigate flooding. Town planning and proper drainage control are essential for creating liveable built-up environments.
States like Lagos have long struggled with violations of setback regulations meant to protect drainage systems.
State and local governments have a duty to Nigerians to ensure regular environmental sanitation and promote proper refuse disposal by citizens.
Observers say the future of the agricultural sector in its fight towards attaining food security may be dealt a great blow if measures are not put in place against flooding.
