FG Issues Urgent Flood Warning for 11 States,Urges Immediate Evacuation

The Federal Government has issued a serious flood alert affecting 11 states, cautioning that 32 locations across these states are at high risk of heavy rainfall and subsequent flooding from Sunday, September 14 through Thursday, September 18, 2025.

This warning was officially released on Sunday by the National Flood Early Warning Centre under the Federal Ministry of Environment. The alert, signed by Usman Abdullahi Bokani, Director of the Erosion, Flood, and Coastal Zone Management Department, highlights specific vulnerable areas in Adamawa, Benue, Nasarawa, Taraba, Delta, Niger, Kebbi, Kano, Katsina, Sokoto, and Zamfara states.

Key locations include Ganye and Natubi in Adamawa; multiple communities in Benue such as Makurdi and Ito; Agima and Rukubi in Nasarawa; Beli and Donga in Taraba; Umugboma and Abraka in Delta; Rijau in Niger; Ribah in Kebbi; Gwarzo and Karaye in Kano; Jibia in Katsina; Makira in Sokoto; and several localities in Zamfara including Kaura Namoda and Shinkafi.

The ministry warned that rising water levels in Rivers Gongola, Benue, and Niger are expected to exacerbate flooding risks, especially for riverine and floodplain settlements. Residents living in vulnerable floodplain communities, notably around Numan and Lokoja, have been strongly advised to evacuate without delay to safeguard lives and property.

This latest alert follows recent heavy rains that caused severe flooding in Zaria, Kaduna State, displacing over 470 children and destroying approximately 270 homes. Flooding has been a persistent crisis in Nigeria, attributed to aging and inadequate drainage infrastructure, rapid urban expansion, and intensifying climate change effects.

Data from the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) reveals that as of early September 2025, floods have claimed at least 231 lives, left 114 missing, and injured more than 600 persons nationwide. The 2024 flood season was even more devastating, affecting over five million people, displacing 1.2 million, and resulting in 1,237 deaths and over 16,000 injuries.

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The Federal Ministry of Environment has called on state governments, emergency response agencies, and all relevant stakeholders to implement prompt and coordinated flood mitigation and evacuation strategies. The warning emphasizes the need for proactive community engagement and rapid deployment of relief resources to reduce flood-related damages and loss of lives.

Communities and residents in the flood-affected zones are urged to remain vigilant, adhere strictly to evacuation orders, and follow safety instructions issued by authorities.