The federal government has forecasted severe rainfall over a five-day period, which might cause flooding in 19 states and 76 places.
The National Flood Early Warning Systems Centre of the Federal Ministry of Environment issued a warning on Tuesday, urging stakeholders and communities to take immediate preventive measures.
This comes as disastrous flooding hit Ogun and Gombe states on Tuesday, affecting additional states such as Lagos, Plateau, Anambra, and Delta.
According to the centre’s flood prediction, the affected areas are projected to receive rainfall that may cause flooding between August 5 and August 9, 2025.
The predicted states and locations are 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, Kafancha, Birnin-Gwari, Zaria); and Katsina (Bindawa, Bakori, Daura, Funtua).
Others are 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); and Gombe (Bajoga).
Flooding in Nigeria has become an annual event, claiming lives and destroying countless properties. Last year, flooding reportedly struck 31 states, killing hundreds, injuring thousands, and affecting 1.2 million people.
On September 10, 2024, the Alau Dam failed, triggering floods in Borno State that killed at least 150 people, displaced 419,000 others, and submerged the community by 70%.
This year, the country has had a number of flooding incidents that have resulted in property damage, deaths, injuries, and displacements.
The deadliest flood so far this year occurred in May, killing at least 200 people and displacing thousands in Mokwa, Niger State.
The floods, caused by heavy rainfall and worsened by a dam failure, caused widespread devastation and hampered the community’s access to basic services.
While Mokwa was the most severely hit, floods occurred throughout Nigeria in 2025.
The flooding devastated several states, notably Rivers State, where severe rains created floods and landslides that buried homes and washed people away in Okrika, killed at least 25 people, and endangered millions of others.
