Nigeria issues severe flood alert: 19 states, 76 locations at risk over five days
ABUJA, NIGERIA – The Nigerian Federal Government has issued an urgent flood warning, predicting heavy rainfall from August 5 to August 9, 2025, which could trigger severe flooding in 19 states and 76 high-risk locations. The alert, released by the National Flood Early Warning Systems Centre, follows recent flood disasters in Ogun, Gombe, Lagos, Plateau, Anambra, and Delta, prompting emergency calls for precautionary measures.
The Federal Ministry of Environment, through its flood monitoring agency, warned that the impending downpour could lead to widespread inundation, particularly in vulnerable communities. Residents in the listed areas have been advised to clear drainages, avoid flood-prone zones, and prepare emergency kits to mitigate risks.
The warning comes after Ogun and Gombe states experienced devastating floods on Tuesday, with other states also reporting rising water levels. The government emphasized that proactive steps are crucial to preventing a repeat of past disasters, which have claimed hundreds of lives and displaced millions.
Full List of Affected States & Locations:
The states and specific areas at risk include:
Gombe – Bajoga
Akwa Ibom – Edor, Eket, Ikom, Oron, Upenekang
Bauchi – Tafawa-Balewa, Azare, Jama’are, Kari, Misau, Jama’a
Ebonyi – Abakaliki, Echara, Ezilo
Cross River – Ogoja Edor, Obubra
Nasarawa – Keana, Keffi, Wamba
Benue – Agaku, Buruku, Gboko, Igumale, Ito, Katsina-Ala, Ugba, Vande-Ikya
Kaduna – Jaji, Kafanchan, Birnin-Gwari, Zaria
Katsina – Bindawa, Bakori, Daura, Funtua
Kebbi – Bagudo, Birnin-Kebbi, Bunza, Gwandu, Jega, Kalgo, Kamba, Kangiwa, Shanga, Ribah, Sakaba, Saminaka, Yelwa, Gauri-Banza
Kano – Bebeji, Gezawa, Gwarzo, Kano, Karaye, Tundun-Wada, Wudil, Kunchi
Niger – Kontagora, Rijau, Ringim
Plateau – Mangu
Taraba – Donga, Takum
Jigawa – Diginsa, Gumel, Dutse, Gwaram, Hadejia, Miga
Yobe – Machina, Potiskum
Zamfara – Anka
Sokoto – Sokoto, Wamakko
Borno – Biu
Flooding in Nigeria has become a yearly occurrence that claims lives and destroys many properties. Last year, 31 states were reportedly affected by flooding, causing hundreds of deaths, injuring thousands of others and affecting 1.2 million.
On September 10, 2024 the Alau Dam collapsed, causing floods in Borno State, killing at least 150 people, displacing 419,000 others and causing the community to submerge 70 per cent.
The country has experienced a series of flooding events that caused property damage, fatalities, injuries and displacement this year. The deadliest flood so far this year was in May that reportedly killed at least 200 people with thousands displaced in Mokwa, Niger State.
The floods, triggered by intense rainfall and exacerbated by a dam collapse, caused widespread destruction and severely impacted the community’s access to essential services.