The Federal Government on Sunday warned that at least 32 locations across 11 states are at risk of heavy rainfall and possible flooding between September 14 and 18, 2025.
The alert, issued on Sunday , September 14, by the National Flood Early Warning Centre of the Federal Ministry of Environment, was signed by the Director of the Erosion, Flood and Coastal Zone Management Department, Usman Abdullahi Bokani.
According to the ministry, the states expected to be impacted include Adamawa (Ganye, Natubi); Benue (Abinsi, Agyo, Gogo, Ito, Makurdi, Udoma, Ukpiam); Nasarawa (Agima, Rukubi, Odogbo); Taraba (Beli, Serti, Donga); Delta (Umugboma, Umukwata, Abraka, Aboh, Okpo-Krika); and Niger (Rijau). Others are Kebbi (Ribah); Kano (Gwarzo, Karaye); Katsina (Jibia); Sokoto (Makira); and Zamfara (Kaura Namoda, Shinkafi, Maradun, Gusau, Anka, Bungudu).
The ministry cautioned that rising water levels in Rivers Gongola, Benue, and Niger could worsen the flooding situation. It advised residents in communities located along floodplains, particularly those around Numan and Lokoja, to evacuate immediately.
“Relevant stakeholders should take note and act promptly,” the statement added, urging state governments and emergency agencies to provide rapid response measures to reduce the risks.
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The warning comes in the wake of torrential rainfall in Zaria, Kaduna State, which recently displaced more than 470 children and destroyed about 270 homes.
Flooding has remained a recurring challenge across Nigeria, fueled by poor drainage infrastructure, rapid urbanisation, and the effects of climate change. Data from the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) shows that as of September 4, 2025, floods had claimed at least 231 lives this year, with 114 persons still missing and over 600 injured.
In 2024 alone, floods affected more than five million people nationwide, displacing over 1.2 million, killing 1,237, and injuring 16,469.
