The Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency (NiHSA) has warned that flooding across parts of Nigeria could persist until September.
Umar Mohammed, director-general of the agency, said the flooding is anticipated based on NiHSA’s forecasts and warned that the situation could worsen between August and September if urgent action is not taken.
Speaking through Emmanuel Tuna, head of NiHSA’s Geographic Information System (GIS) and Remote Sensing Department, in an interview with Sunday Vanguard, Mohammed said the agency had issued early warnings before the floods.
“This is something we foresaw. We saw it coming,” Mohammed said.
“As we speak now, with the flooding happening, if nothing is done, this is just the start of the rainy season. Between July and September (12 weeks), it could be worse than what is happening right now.
“And we’re expecting it to be worse around August and September, particularly in August and September.”
Mohammed said that, beyond the destruction caused by floodwaters, NiHSA is concerned about the impact on drinking water sources.
He said the agency collected baseline data on the quality of borehole water before the floods and plans to carry out post-flood assessments to determine the extent and sources of contamination.
“We were concerned about the drinking water because we expected the flooding to last for a long period,” he said.
“So, we started analysing the quality of the water, and we have our reports.
“We wanted to observe the quality of the water before the flood because we know that after flooding, or even during flooding, we are expecting challenges with drinking water in the states.
“So we can confirm what is polluting the water. We want to confirm the sources, particularly the source. We have pre-flood records, and now that flooding is happening, I am sure my DG is already putting together a team to go to Lagos and prepare a post-flood report.”
Mohammed said Lagos remains one of the country’s most flood-prone states because it is vulnerable to urban, riverine and coastal flooding.
According to him, blocked drainage channels, silt build-up and low-lying terrain have worsened the impact of recent rains, while rising river levels have compounded flooding in some parts of the state.
“We are expecting this flooding to occur on and off from July to September,” he said.
“Around October, we are expecting the rains to recede. The only time we can be safe, to be honest, is possibly around November.”
The NiHSA DG also accused state governments of failing to act on the agency’s annual flood outlook and early warnings.
“We have a serious challenge with cooperation from states,” he added.
“Most times, we are disregarded. Our warnings are not taken seriously.”
Last week, torrential rainfall triggered widespread flooding in parts of Nigeria, with Lagos among the hardest-hit states as roads, homes and critical infrastructure were submerged.
The development disrupted movement, displaced residents and caused power outages in some communities after floodwaters inundated a transmission substation.
