…As rainy season sets in

• Lagos, Abia, Bayelsa, Benue, Kebbi, Kogi, Ondo put up mitigation measures, mobilise residents

 

By Olakunle Olafioye (Lagos), Scholastica Hir (Makurdi), Bamigbola Gbolagunte (Akure), Lateef Dada (Osogbo), Olanrewaju Lawal (Birnin Kebbi), Okey Sampson (Umuahia), Emmanuel Adeyemi, Lokoja and Femi Folaranmi (Yenagoa)

In its 2025 seasonal climate prediction, the Nigerian Meterological Services (NiMET) revealed that the country would witness an average annual rainfall of about 1936mm. The agency said that its forecast for the year is based on the neutral phase of the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO), which is expected to persist for the first six to eight months of the year.

On the basis of this and the data it gathered, the Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency (NIHSA) listed 33 states and the Federal Capital Territory, saying that they would experience severe flooding.

In response to this development, the Federal Government announced plans to carry out a nationwide campaign,  beginning from next month to educate the public about flood risks and safety measures. 

In the wake of the announcement made by NIHSA, urging the affected states to initiate measures to prepare for the imminent massive flooding, Sunday Sun correspondents present situations reports from the affected states across the nation. Excerpt:

 

 

LAGOS

Lagos State is one of those listed by NIHSA in the flooding alert which it published. The implications of the ENSO phenomenon for Lagos State include early onset of the rainy season, a longer than normal length and a delayed end to the rainy season in the state.

Based on the forecast, the Lagos State Commissioner for Environment and Water Resources, Dr Wahab Tokunbo, said occasional flash flooding is expected in some parts of the state during the wet season. 

He also said “strong winds are expected during the onset and end of each rainy season, lives and properties may be at risk. Disruptions to commercial activities, flight delays, and resulting revenue losses could also occur.”

 

The state government, as part of efforts to address the potential impact of flooding across the state, said it has established a network of weather stations and river gauge stations to monitor weather and river levels in the state and enhance preparedness for weather-and flood-related issues.

In addition to this, Sunday Sun gathered that the state had equally set machinery in motion for an all-year-round drainage maintenance programme aimed at achieving effective and efficient flood control, in addition to managing solid waste in the state. The Emergency Flood Abatement Gang, EFAG, findings also show has been fully mobilized to operate all-year round, ensuring proactive flood control measures across the state.

Similarly, the state, it was gathered, intends to sustain its relationship and partnership with Ogun-Oshun River Basin Development Authority (OORBDA), which in the past has helped to closely monitor rainfall, dam releases, river water level and flows from neighbouring states of Ogun and Osun leveraging on the long-established synergy and partnership in ensuring the control and monitoring of the steady and systematic release of water from Oyan Dam to prevent flooding of the downstream reaches of the Ogun River.

Other programmes of action initiated by the state include close monitoring of low-lying areas of Agiliti, Agboyi, Itowolo, and Ajegunle communities in Lagos State for the likelihood of the Ogun River overflowing its banks as well as all other river basins in the state, enlightenment campaigns to avert dangers associated to flooding and the activation of emergency response organizations, traffic management organizations, and other emergency-related organizations with the aim of assisting in mitigating the damaging effects of heavy rainfall in the state.

 

BENUE

In Benue State, the Commissioner for Water Resources, Environment and Climate Change, Hon. Ugwu Odoh, told Sunday Sun that the government has intensified community sensitization across flood-prone local government areas, engaging traditional rulers, local leaders, and the media to educate residents on precautionary measures.

He also said that the government has been fully engaged in de-silting major drainage channels in Makurdi and other vulnerable areas to improve water flow.

He said: “We have also reactivated the State Emergency Response Committee on Flooding, which works closely with NEMA, SEMA, and other stakeholders to coordinate evacuation plans, establish temporary shelters, and pre-position relief materials.

“We’re also leveraging GIS mapping to identify high-risk zones and are collaborating with federal agencies to strengthen our flood monitoring and forecasting capabilities.”

He explained that the absence of flooding in Benue last year is a testament to the proactive measures put in place by the government. 

“These included aggressive public sensitization campaigns, early de-silting of drainages and culverts, timely clearance of refuse dumps obstructing waterways, and enforcing environmental regulations to stop construction on floodplains.

“We also established a close monitoring relationship with NIHSA and the Nigeria Meteorological Agency (NiMet) for real-time updates. All these actions significantly contributed to our success in flood prevention last year, and we consider them effective.”

Odoh who acknowledged that nature is dynamic, said the government was not resting on its oars, adding, “we are building on that success by scaling up interventions this year.”

He narrated that despite the achievements, the state faced several challenges, explaining that there were instances of public resistance to relocation from flood-prone areas, stemming from emotional or economic attachment to property. 

He said that enforcement of environmental sanitation laws was also difficult in some urban areas due to lack of compliance and manpower constraints while data limitations hindered more precise risk mapping in rural areas, adding that the challenges were being addressed through renewed partnerships and increased advocacy.

“This year, we are taking a more integrated and data-driven approach. First, we are expanding our flood risk mapping exercise to cover more local government areas and align our interventions accordingly. We are also engaging more with local governments to decentralize early warning systems and make them community-owned.

“Secondly, we are intensifying our collaboration with the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development to ensure stricter enforcement against construction on waterways and wetlands.

“We plan to introduce eco-based solutions like reforestation of riverbanks and promotion of rainwater harvesting to reduce surface runoff. And finally, we’re engaging development partners to close funding gaps and ensure more comprehensive flood response planning,” Odoh said.

Meanwhile, residents living around the flood-prone areas like Wadata, Wurukum, Kucha Utebe and Judges Quarters, among other places, expressed joy that the state was not affected last year and prayed for same this year.

A trader at Wurukum market, Mrs Joy Agbo, said that she was pleased with the activities of government, noting that “the state government has built some drainage channels around the market. They have also started parking garbage from the old drainages. We are hoping that with that, we would be safe when the rains finally come.”

 

ONDO

Coastal communities in Ondo South Senatorial District of Ondo State have been assured by the government of its readiness to prevent flooding in all parts of the state during the current rainy season. This, the state government said, would prevent flooding already envisaged by the Federal Government.

The Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Ebenezer Adeniyan, said that the state government has already embarked on proactive measures to prevent flooding in the state, having previously experienced the ugly disaster.

In the past, sea surge and flooding had devastated some riverine communities in the state, destroying both public and private assets, including buildings and other valuable belongings of residents of the affected communities. 

Mostly affected by the flooding were communities in Ilaje and Eseodo local government areas which are bounded by the Atlantic Ocean just as a river surrounds others.

However, Adeniyan said that the state government has embarked on dredging to pave way for water in the riverine parts of the state and also prevent flooding.

He also hinted that the state government is embarking on serious sensitization programme through the media, just as he called on residents of the state to avoid dumping refuse on waterways.

 

OSUN

Residents of Osun State have criticized the state government for not making adequate preparations to mitigate the effects of flooding which the NIHSA has sounded the alarm would devastate 33 states and the Federal Capital Territory, during this year’s rainy season.

However, the Osun State government countered the claims of residents and restated its commitment and preparation for the control of flooding.

The Commissioner for Environment, Mayowa Adejoorin, who spoke to Sunday Sun, explained that the government has embarked on dredging of rivers to ensure that the flood does not affect residents this year.

He said dredging of waterways had commenced in major towns, affirming that the government had no intention to relocate any residents because of flood. 

He assured that plans had been perfected to ensure that no life or property would be lost to the flood this year.

“We have also been going to the radio and television stations to enlighten the people and caution them against dumping refuse on the waterways,” Adejoorin added.

The Chief Imam of Islahudeen Central Mosque, Osogbo, Sheikh Adediran Azeez, lamented that the mosque spent millions of naira to dredge the river beside it despite the ongoing construction of flyover beside the mosque. 

He called on the state government to extend support to the mosque by assisting in dredging the river this year.

“We call on those who are close to the government to help us tell them to dredge the river beside this mosque. The water usually floods the mosque and prevents us from observing Solat at times. That was why we spent millions of naira on dredging last year,” the Chief Imam said.

Another resident who pleaded anonymity because of his closeness to the government said the dredging needs to get sincere attention of the government.

He criticized the government for what he termed as “political dredging,” stressing that the state administration should shun politics in the discharge of its duties.

 

KEBBI

Kebbi State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) has drawn up plans to evacuate people living across the flood-prone areas in collaboration with the Police, DSS and Kebbi State Urban Development Agency (KUDA).

The Executive Director of SEMA, Alhaji Abubakar Abdullahi Tuleje, who spoke with the Sunday Sun explained that measures put in place in the past years were helpful in saving the lives and property of the people.

“This year, we are going to evacuate people after our thorough discussion with the community leaders on the need for them to move to the higher ground. We shall ensure that they are physically relocated before the anticipated flooding commences.”

Regarding other steps being undertaken, he said the government had embarked on de-silting of gutters, drainages and waterways.

“Again, we are going to embark on massive public sensitization through media organisations in the state to create awareness, so that our people could get adequate information.  We are going to be monitoring the weather situation too so that we can regularly update our people with the right information, to avoid them being taken unaware,” he said.

Tuleje noted that it might be hard to permanently relocate some people, especially the fishermen who solely rely on fishing as primary source of income to survive.

He explained that SEMA has to contend with the resistance of people who refused being permanently relocated from ancestral homes and others who built houses on the waterways.

“But we are going to liaise with the KUDA, to move these affected people from the waterways. We shall talk to KUDA, to stop issuing permissions to residents who are building houses on the waterways.

“However, this year, what we are going to do differently from the previous years is to engage NGOs, community leaders to assist us to plead and persuade those living along the waterways, riverine areas to relocate. Though the strategies we adopted in the previous years worked for us, but this year we are going to evacuate those living along the waterways just as we permanently relocated people of Kompany village in Argungu to the highland. The village which is WACOT Rice Mill, Argungu, was entirely flooded last year. We relocated them permanently and they are still there now and the Kebbi State government is taking care of them and even planning to build houses for them.

 

ABIA

In Abia State, the government last year rolled out some measures to mitigate against flooding as was contained in alarm bell raised by NiMet in its forecast. 

That year, predictions by the Nigerian Hydrological Services Agency (NIHSA) and Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) on the 2024 Annual Flood Outlook and Seasonal Rainfall Prediction indicated that 11 out of the 17 local government areas of the state will be affected by flooding.

Some of the LGAs which were said to be under high and moderate flood risk included, Aba North, Aba South, Osisioma Ngwa, Isiala Ngwa North, Isiala Ngwa South, Ugwunagbo, Ukwa East, Ukwa West, Umuahia North, Umuahia South, and Umunneochi.

Some of the measures taken which really worked out, included the sensitization programme for the 17 local government areas of the state, carried out in collaboration with the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA).

The sensitization was regarding the Downscaling of Flood Early Warning Strategies for early actions in the state to contain that year’s flooding.

The Abia State Commissioner for Environment, Philemon Asonye Ogbonna, who drove the sensitization train, saw it as one major step in tackling flooding.

“We must empower local communities with the knowledge and resources they need to take early actions and protect themselves from the destructive impacts of flooding,” Ogbonna said.

Outside sensitization programme, the government has put other measures such clearing of water channels and drainages in the urban areas.

The government, having found out the measures it put in place last year helped tremendously in checkmating flooding, decided to repeat them this year with some modifications.

An official of the Ministry, Mr Kalu, said that the sensitization programme was just one aspect of the actions taken to drastically reduce the adverse impacts of floods in the entire state. 

Kalu said that the story associated with flooding in the state in the past is fast changing as a result government’s construction of drainages in endemic areas and the de-silting of blocked ones.

“Government has done a lot of work to control flooding this rainy season. Apart from de-silting blocked drains, it is building new ones in endemic areas,” he said.

He said it was in order to checkmate flooding in the state, that the present government made it a policy that all new roads it constructed, must have solid drainages.

He cited Port Harcourt Road in Aba where he said construction giant, Julius Berger, did not only construct drainages, but also channels to take storm water from the Uratta Road axis, which he described as a flood endemic area, to the Aba River, thereby controlling flooding in the area.

 He added that the story remains the same in so many places.

“Government has indeed taken proactive measures to address potential flooding, and these include implementing flood awareness campaigns, clearing drainage systems, and potentially collaborating with the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) for support,” he said.

In addition, he said that the Abia State government would also consider engaging with local communities and provide them with useful information through flood awareness programmes about flood risks. 

An official of NEMA said that the agency is activating its early warning system and deploying technology for emergency management among other measures to mitigate flooding and expressed optimism that Abia State would partner with NEMA in this regard.

 

CROSS RIVER

In Cross River State, flooding is mostly noticed along areas with drainage channels. Most of these channels are usually filled with debris which make residents around there susceptible to flooding.

The present administration re-introduced the monthly sanitation exercise which residents largely participate in by clearing roadside drains but do not clear larger water channels. 

These larger channels pose a major threat and risk of flooding.

However, the government says it is preparing for the imminent floods by focusing on extensive sensitization and de-silting of waterways in flood channels across the state.

The Commissioner for Environment, Moses Osoji, said what they have been doing is the “de-silting of our drainages, which will in turn, give the water a proper channel to follow.”

Data on the extent of drainages cleared is not available as it’s said to be ongoing at the moment.

Last year, the commissioner said they ensured that the drainages remained de-silted throughout the year and erosion channels were under control.

He, however, claimed that individuals persisted in the act of discharging their wastes indiscriminately into the gutters and other water channels.

The government, he said, hopes to scale up the creation of proper sensitization and awareness campaigns across the 18 local government areas.

Also speaking, the Director General of the State Emergency Management Agency, (SEMA), Antigha Gill, said they have identified major channels which are flash points. 

He listed the channels to include the Victory Channel along Mayne Avenue and the Mary Slessor Drainage that empties into Target.

He told our correspondent that they have been working with sister agencies, including the Calabar Urban Development Agency, CUDA, to ensure the channels flow freely.

He also said that residents of Edim Otop have also been sensitized on the intending floods and encouraged not to block the natural water ways to allow water to flow and get to the bigger drains.

He stressed that proactive measures are being taken particularly in sensitization which is being done extensively across the state.

 

KOGI

The Kogi State government has reaffirmed its readiness to meet the challenges that may come as consequence of the predicted flooding.

Executive Secretary of the State Emergency Management Agency,  Alhaji Mouktar Atimah said the  42 IDP camps established last year across eight flood-prone LGAs in the state were still intact to take care of expected victims this year.

He said the state government like it did last year, had also mapped out  a strategy to identify about 259,000 persons in those areas who are likely to be victims.

The SEMA boss also disclosed that an Emergency Operation Center would be established to facilitate effective coordination and response to the flood situation.

The eight local government areas identified as flood-prone areas in the state include Kotonkarfi, Lokoja, Ajaokuta, Ofu, Idah, Ibaji, Bassa and Dekina.

Meanwhile, Sunday Sun learnt that the state government has begun to sensitize citizens, especially those living at the bank of rivers to relocate to a safer ground and to take all necessary precautions before the coming of the floods.

It is also learnt that all necessary government agencies are working in collaboration with the Ministry of Environment and Ecological Development to discuss strategies for emergency management and response to the impending flood disaster.

The strategies put in place by the various agencies of the state government, which was coordinated by the Ministry of Environment and Ecological Development coupled with early preparations was responsible for the low fatality rate last year.

The Bayelsa State government is putting every measure in place to ensure it subdues the 2025 flooding as predicted by the Nigeria Hydrological Service Agencies. Because of its peculiar geography and topography, Bayelsa is prone to flooding. In the past  when flooding occurred, the state was caught napping and implication was devastating with lives and property lost to the wanted guest.

In 1969, when Bayelsa was still in Old Rivers State, in 2012, 2018, 2019, and 2022, flooding had swept across several communities, leaving in its wake lamentations from government officials and the citizens on what had to be done to mitigate the effects of flooding.

A cross-section of the people had always blamed the government for not being proactive enough to stem the tide against flooding. According to them, the state government waited till the last minute, when it was too late to address the flooding issue.

During the 2022 flooding, the opposition All Progressive Congress did not mince words in criticisibg the state government for being lackadaisical in protecting lives and property. 

‘’Our party is nonetheless pained to note that the effects of the flood would have been drastically reduced if the government of Bayelsa had made adequate preparations, considering the early warning from experts.

‘’We have no control over natural disasters, but we have to control our minds. We cannot fight against these natural calamities and activities that tend to aggravate them.’’

The criticism of the handling of the 2022 flooding was believed to have spurred the government into action. In 2023, some measures, such as the opening of canals to minimise the effect of flooding in the state. In 2024, even when the Federal Government issued a warning of possible flooding in several states, including Bayelsa, the efforts of the state government were said to have saved residents of Bayelsa from another major distressing episode.

According to the State Commissioner for Environment, Ben Ololo, the proactive measures taken in 2024 saved the state from the disaster.

‘’Bayelsa happens to be one of the flood-prone states in Nigeria. That is basically because of our topography and geographical location.   Last year was one of the years that NIMET predicted massive flooding. We did not just listen to the prediction but swung into action and did what has not been done before.  Bayelsa had experienced massive flooding in 1969, 2012, 2018, 2019, and 2022 which was massive.  Last year, we gathered data and ensured that the mistakes made previously were not made.

‘’We opened our canals and created awareness, and did a lot of sensitization in local dialects and Pidgin. We did not stop at the Radio and TV jingles, we also went to the nooks and crannies of communities.

“We opened 54 canals and tributaries in 2024, which led to us not having flooding.  This year, we have pencilled down additional canals and tributaries to be opened up.  Some of the factors responsible for flooding are human activities like the dumping of refuse into the drainage. We have cautioned against it, and we have prosecuted some people and intend to prosecute more,’’ he said.

This year, Ololo said the state government is not going to rest on its oars as more canals and tributaries have been pencilled down to be opened.

He explained that the state government is also at the forefront of discouraging the use of polyethylene to ensure a cleaner environment in Bayelsa.

“We have created awareness of the fast-food joints and others on the need to shun the usage of polyethylene and introduce what is environmentally friendly. We have also discussed with residents of Bayelsa on the need not to trash this polyethylene,” Otolo said.

The steps the state government took last year were able to restore confidence in residents, who, however, pleaded that the state government sustain its efforts.

Mrs Livingstone Iniago, in an interview, said the state government must double its efforts and collaborate with the Federal Government agencies to minimise the adverse effects of flooding in the state.

‘’The state government tried last year and ensured that the flood did not affect the people. We hope that they do the same this year.  All the necessary canals should be opened. They should also supervise the cleaning of the drainage.

‘’More importantly, they should collaborate with the Federal Government agencies like the NDDC to prepare for flooding. The NDDC is building a modern IDP camp at Otuopkoti, the state government should synergize with NDDC and ensure the place is ready before the flooding starts.’’