Flood alert: FG puts 2,000 locations, 915 communities on watch

The federal government has placed 2,000 locations across 33 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) under varying degrees of flood risk, with 915 communities in 19 states classified as critical and requiring immediate preparedness and protective action.

The latest flood prediction issued on Thursday, August 27, by the National Flood Early Warning Systems Center (FEWSC) of the Federal Ministry of Environment covers the period from August 27 to September 9, 2026. It warned that a combination of high soil moisture, rainfall, rapid surface runoff, drainage surcharge and rising river levels could trigger flooding within the period.

According to the advisory, another 429 locations across seven states are in the high-risk category, while 656 locations in 13 states are on the moderate-risk watchlist. The classification, the Centre said, is based on its community-level flood-risk dataset and should be considered alongside real-time local observations and official emergency directives.

The critical-risk areas cut across Kogi, Benue, Rivers, Edo, Delta, Cross River, Bayelsa, Akwa Ibom, Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu, Imo, Ekiti, Lagos, Ogun, Ondo, Osun and Oyo states, placing several major urban centres and riverine communities on heightened alert.

Among the locations listed are Lokoja and Idah in Kogi State; Makurdi, Agatu and Guma in Benue; Port Harcourt, Bonny, Degema and several other local government areas in Rivers; Benin City and other communities in Edo; Asaba, Warri and surrounding areas in Delta; as well as Calabar, Yenagoa, Uyo, Aba, Onitsha, Enugu and Owerri.

The warning also extends to Lagos, where Apapa, Badagry, Epe, Eti-Osa, Ikeja, Ikorodu, Lekki, Lagos Island, Ojo, Surulere, Agege and other locations were identified among the critical-risk areas. Ogun, Ondo, Osun and Oyo states also have several communities under the same classification.

For the northern part of the country, the Centre identified high-risk locations in Benue, Kogi, Kwara, Niger, Adamawa, Taraba and Kebbi states. Communities listed include Ilorin, Jebba, Bida, Minna, Mokwa, Yola, Numan, Jalingo, Wukari and Birnin Kebbi, among others.

The FCT is, however, on the moderate-risk watchlist, alongside Nasarawa, Plateau, Bauchi, Borno, Gombe, Yobe, Zamfara, Sokoto, Katsina, Kano, Kaduna and Jigawa states. Within the nation’s capital, the watchlist includes Abuja Municipal, Garki, Wuse, Maitama, Asokoro, Gwarinpa, Kubwa, Kuje, Gwagwalada, Lugbe, Nyanya, Kwali and several other districts and communities.

The Centre urged communities in the critical category to maintain immediate flood watch, confirm evacuation routes and protect vulnerable households and essential assets. It specifically advised residents against settling, parking, trading or storing goods within active floodplains, wetlands, riverbanks and low-lying drainage corridors.

State emergency agencies, environmental officers and community flood focal persons were also directed to intensify surveillance around rivers, streams, culverts, bridges, drainage channels, reservoirs, estuaries and erosion-prone areas.

Communities classified as high risk were advised to intensify drainage clearance, monitor culverts and watercourses and report changes in rainfall, ponding, dam releases and river levels. Those on the moderate watchlist were similarly urged to maintain preventive measures, as prolonged or consecutive rainfall could rapidly worsen local flood conditions.

The federal government further warned residents to obey evacuation orders, keep children away from floodwater and avoid driving or walking through flowing water. Residents were also advised to disconnect electricity where inundation is imminent and secure medicines, important documents, food and potable water.

The Centre said the prediction would be continuously updated based on feedback from state governments, relevant stakeholders and community focal persons, stressing that the forecast must be interpreted alongside local observations, drainage conditions, river levels and official emergency directives.