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• Anxious residents raise the alarm, seek prompt interventions
• State govts, communities activate emergency response
Federal and state government agencies have consistently issued notices and warnings of more intense rainfall and devastating impact as the rainy season sets in.
Across the states, local communities and governments are taking precautionary measures to mitigate the possible impacts of heavy rainfall this year.
In states like Lagos and other coastal states, the rains are already taking tolls on the city, with many unpleasant effects.
In this special report, Saturday Sun’s correspondents across the country give situation reports.
Angry floods sweep through Lagos, govt responds with demolition of structures, drainage alignments
For two weeks in June 2026, Lagos looked more like a river city than a megacity. Heavy downpours returned last Thursday and stayed, turning roads into water channels and living rooms into wading pools.
Ngozi Nwoke reports that from Lekki and Ajah on the Island to Ojota, Oshodi, Ikeja, Maryland, Ago Palace Way, and beyond on the mainland, the flood turned streets into waterways.
The downpour trapped motorists and commuters for hours, and left residents counting losses long after it had stopped.
The flood has become the city’s most shared story in recent times. Videos posted on social media showed cars floating on the Apapa-Oshodi Expressway, Ago Palace Way, and the Oshodi axis. Residents and traders were seen bailing water with buckets.
Major roads were submerged. Wastes and debris washed from the roadsides were seen floating on the flood waters even as drain channels were entirely covered by the floods such that for motorists and pedestrians, movement became extremely dangerous.
In one of the videos, a landlord in Maryland was captured scooping water from his sitting room at 2 a.m. In Ojota, a BRT lane was taken over by the floods. And in Ajah, estates experienced waist-deep waters on the ground floors of some buildings.
The pattern was not new. The same areas were hit last week Thursday.
NiMet had warned earlier in the year that 2026 would bring above-normal rainfall, with Lagos projected to record between 1,965mm and 1,936mm annually. It noted that strong winds and high rainfall at the start and end of the season could trigger flash floods, especially in low-lying coastal communities.
The Lagos State Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab described the incident as a flash flood caused by hours of intense rainfall, adding that water levels had already receded in many affected locations.
He explained the science behind it: “Lagos is a low-lying coastal city prone to tide-locking. When heavy rain falls at the same time as high tide, drains cannot empty fast enough into the lagoon or ocean.”
Wahab urged calm, saying flash flooding is common in coastal cities during intense rain and should not be mistaken for prolonged flooding. He also stressed responsibility.
The state had earlier listed Apapa, Badagry, Epe, Eti-Osa, Ikeja, Ikorodu, Ikoyi, Lagos Island, Lekki, Ojo, Orile-Agege, Surulere, Agege, Alimosho and Kosofe among areas at critical flood risk. Lekki, Ajah and the Lagos Lagoon boundaries were specifically mentioned in earlier relocation advisories linked to dam releases and heavy rains.
The Federal Ministry of Works also directed the desilting of drains along federal roads in the state with a view to deflooding the highways.
But the Federal Controller of Works in Lagos, Engr. O. I. Kesha, in a press release, clarified that Lagos is not experiencing widespread submergence from floodwaters, countering some reports and video evidence that showed otherwise.
Flood fear rises in Borno, but govt vows to prevent tragedy
Residents of Maiduguri, capital of Borno State are expressing fears of flooding in the city as the rainy season begins. This is more so with the scary reports of heavy rains and flash flooding in some parts of the country, writes Timothy Olanrewaju.
Some also traced the cause of their fear to an earlier forecast by the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet), warning that Borno will see more rain and flooding this season. NiMET predicted that this may start a few days to the end of June.
With about four heavy rainfall in June and memory of the past flood disaster in the state, residents said they are worried.
Fati Mustapha, a 32-year old widow still remembers wading through chest-high water with her two children; the youngest stripped on her back at Gwange, a populated ward in Maiduguri in September 2024. Now, with clouds gathering again over the city this week, she fears the flood is back.
“I don’t want to go through the 2024 experience again. I heard on the radio that there was flooding in some places. I almost lost my two children last time until someone pulled him out of the water. Rain has started now,” she told Saturday Sun.
Fati is not the only resident apprehensive of flooding. Many like Malam Usman Saleh, a Koranic school teacher, are worried as the rainy season gradually commences in Borno.
“We are worried but everything is in the hands of Allah. We don’t have power to change what Allah has destined. But we can also take some measures to reduce the impact,” said Saleh in an interview.
Across the flood-prone areas of Maiduguri such as Gwange, Bulabulin, Fori, Kuwait and houses around the river banks, residents are watching the skies nervously.
“We are still watching and hoping the NiMet’s forecast of excess rains this year doesn’t come to pass,” resident Samaila Buba, a teacher said as he recalled the 2024 flash flood near his area last year.
The Borno State Environmental Protection Agency (BOSEPA) has, however, insisted there is no cause for fear as the state government is working hard to prevent flooding.
BOSEPA General Manager, Alhaji Abubakar Suleiman, listed some of the measures taken by the agency. These include distilling of River Ngadda which flows through the city, clearing of other waterways, dyke and drainages to ensure free flow of water into the rivers. Maiduguri.
“Government has constituted a committee with the Ministry of Environment leading the team. BOSEPA is actively involved and we have mobilized our excavators, pay loafers and other equipment to the site to start work,” he disclosed.
He said about 2,500 personnel, including sanitation vanguards, are also involved in the clearing exercise across the city. He explained that the city has been divided into different phases to ensure thoroughness in the cheering and distilling.
Some residents of Maiduguri and a few major towns still pour waste in drainages, thereby blocking water from moving freely out the communities whenever it rains.
But Abubakar said the government is building seven waste centres across the capital to stop indiscriminate disposal of waste into drainages and waterways. He said a sanitation court exists in the state to handle infractions of public health and environment.
Bayelsa gears up for flood, desilts canals, activates flood shades
The Bayelsa State government has intensified efforts to mitigate the effects of the 2027 flooding on residents of Yenagoa, the state capital, and several coastal communities in the state.
Femi Folaranmi reports that after the devastating consequences of the flooding in 2022, the state government says it has left no stone unturned to ensure it is not caught napping.
In the build-up to the 2027 flooding, the state government, through the Directorate of Flood and Erosion Control, has begun massive delisting of natural canals in Yenagoa and its environs to mitigate the impact of perennial flooding during this year’s rainy season.
Saturday Sun investigations revealed that the first phase of the desilting exercise, which started two weeks ago, commenced with the canals at St. Peter’s–Obele and Osiri Road by Tower Hotel.
Furthermore, the agency had deployed additional equipment to other identified water channels like creeks, streams, and canals in other parts of the state capital and its environs to speed up this year’s mitigation exercise.
The government has also issued a strong warning to all residents at St. Peter’s and Obele canals, Goodnews Canal by Azikoro Town, and Akenpai Canal and Kpansia Market Road to stop dumping refuse into waterways.
It also appealed to people to desist from erecting structures on the right-of-way of canals, warning that those who violate the laws would face sanctions in line with existing environmental laws.
Further findings indicated that the agency has commenced activating flood shades across the state.
The agency stated that the flood shade projects are expected to serve as safe havens for residents in the event of flooding by providing temporary shelter and protection from disaster impacts.
While the flood shade in Tambiri in Biseni has been activated, it is also expected that the ultra-modern Niger Delta Development Commission NDDC) flood shelter in Otuokpoti, Ogbia Local Government Area, is ready to accommodate over 2,000 displaced persons during the 2027 flooding.
Osun begins dredging of rivers amid flooding fear
Amid fears of flooding, the Osun State government has begun dredging works on rivers and waterways to curb flooding at its early stage, reports Lateef Dada.
The Commissioner for Environment, Mr Mayowa Adejoorin, told Saturday Sun that the dredging started before the rains began and is still ongoing in major parts of the state where flood incidents have previously been common.
“As a riverine state, we understood what could happen with the onset of rainfall. That is why we started dredging rivers and waterways early, before the commencement of the raining season,” Adejoorin said.
He explained that the state made funds available for the project and that the government removed wastes and bushes that could obstruct the free flow of water.
He added that enforcement agents have been deployed across the state to ensure compliance and to punish offenders. According to him, illegal structures along waterways have also been marked for removal.
Adejoorin noted that the state did not experience any flooding incident in 2025, adding that preparations have been put in place to ensure there is no serious flooding this year.
Kebbi to evacuate residents from flood-prone areas
In Kebbi State, the State Emergency Management Agency (KSEMA) says it has kicked off annual sensitisation, provision of food and non-food items to the expected victims, public awareness, stakeholders engagement meeting, and simulation exercise among other to prevent impact of expected flooding.
Executive Secretary of the agency, Abubakar Abdullah also told Saturday Sun’s Olanrewaju Lawal in Birnin Kebbi that the state would evacuate people living across the flood-prone areas, in collaboration with the security agencies in the state.
Tuleje said earlier warnings on flooding in previous years had been helpful. He said this year, the agency would implement evacuation after thorough dialogue, meeting with the community leaders on the need by the people to leave their respective flood-prone locations without delay.
He said some of the challenges being faced by the government were the resistance of people to permanently relocate from ancestral homes and building houses on the waterways.
Ogun has been having heavy rains in the past three weeks, particularly in Abeokuta, the state capital and its environs.
Places such as Ijebu Ode, Mowe, Ibafo, Sango-Ota and parts of Abeokuta, were expected to experience flooding as usual, due to the heavy rainfall. However, these identified flood-prone locations have been safe so far. Though some parts of Abeokuta such as Oke Lantoro, Abule Otun, Adatan and surrounding communities experienced flash floods, the high volume of water quickly drained, perhaps due to the clearance of drainages carried out in advance.
In a chat with Laide Raheem, an official of the Ministry of Environment, who preferred anonymity, said the ministry embarked on massive drainage clearing and desilting exercise ahead of the wet season. He added that the ministry also carried out sensitisation campaigns to enlighten the public and warn those residing in the flood plains in the state to vacate the locations to avoid danger.
He further disclosed that the ministry is always in contact with the management of the Ogun-Oshun River Basin Development Authority on the modalities of opening the Oyan Dam to prevent flooding of communities situated along the Ogun River.
He, however, urged the residents of the state to permanently stop the habit of dumping refuse in drainages whenever it is raining to avoid flooding.
Rivers govt intensifies moves to avert flooding
Rivers State is among the major states in Nigeria easily hit by flooding. Quite unlike previous years, in 2026, the state is yet to experience a surge in flooding.
A community leader of the Idu Osobile community in the Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni Local Government Area, living by the bank of the Orashi River, told Tony John there is no immediate threat of rising water level nor flooding oin the area.
However, the Rivers State Emergency Management Agency (RVSEMA) said it would be replacing ad-hoc committees and institutionalise flood response.
The state government said it has taken steps to desilt canals and drainages in Port Harcourt, upgrading Internally Displaced People (IDP) camps, and begin intensive drain-clearing across LGAs.
The government is also cracking down on indiscriminate refuse dumping, illegal sand mining, and construction on flood plains.
This medium gathered from a government official that there is post-flood aid of N24 million to 200 households in Orashi LGAs, plus food, non-food items, farm inputs, and anti-malaria drugs.
It was gathered that some local government areas are also taking steps to contain any imminent flooding in the place.
Other News
Abia steps up efforts to mitigate flooding
In Abia State, the Aba axis is the most flood-prone area, as experts say the city is 100 feet below sea level. As a result, when it rains, parts of the city are usually flooded.
Apart from Aba metropolis, some other LGAs which are under high and moderate flood risk include Osisioma Ngwa, Isiala Ngwa North, Isiala Ngwa South, Ugwunagbo, Ukwa East, Ukwa West, Umuahia North, Umuahia South, and Umunneochi.
One of the measures adopted by the present government was the construction of tunnels and channels to take storm water from the city centre to Waterside River.
The present government has reconstructed roads with wide and deep drainages, and equally desilted existing ones, including the major drainage system that cuts across the city and empties into Aba River.
Apart from putting up physical infrastructure to mitigate flooding, the state government has also started sensitization programmes in the 17 local government areas of the state.
The state Commissioner for Environment, Philemon Asonye Ogbonna who was the anchor man for the sensitization programme, told Okey Sampson it was one of the major steps in tackling flooding.
Plateau moves to curb flooding in Jos, others
Plateau State has been listed among states expected to experience serious flooding during the 2026 rainy season. The heavy downpour of Tuesday, June 30, 2026, appeared to confirm the prediction as flash flooding was recorded from Miango Junction to Sparkling Junction, where stagnant water remained on the expressway for hours, affecting motorists, especially tricycle riders.
Despite the incident, the Plateau Environmental Protection and Sanitation Agency (PEPSA) says it has intensified efforts to mitigate flooding across Jos metropolis through public sensitisation, waste evacuation and desilting of gutters.
The Director General of PEPSA, Mr. Samuel Dapiya, speaking through the Director of Administration, Mr. Izang Para Dauda, told Jude Dangwam in Jos that the agency had sustained environmental interventions to reduce flood risks.
“Our men have continued to clear and maintain drainages and gutters to allow for free flow of water,” he said. He listed cleared locations to include Saint Paul Primary School, Old Bukuru Park, Zaria Bypass, Peace Garden, Tafawa Balewa Junction, Polo area, Murtala Mohammed Way, Total Filling Station Bukuru, Izang, Zawan Commercial School, Gold and Base Roundabout, Constitution Hill Road, Timber Shed and Zaria Maganda Refuge Road.
He added that PEPSA is promoting proper waste management, tree planting and public awareness against building on waterways.
Ekiti sensitises citizens, clears drainage channels
The General Manager, Ekiti State Emergency Management Agency( SEMA) Oludare Asaolu, said that improper waste disposal and building on waterways, among other practices, are major causes of flooding in many parts of the state, despite various government interventions to contain the menace.
But he said the current administration of Governor Biodun Oyebanji has taken proactive steps and put in place preventive measures to address the issue.
He told Priscilla Ediare: “A lot of dredging has been done in the state by Mr Governor. A lot of waterways have been dredged, drainage channels have been cleared so that water can move freely, but when you look at most of these areas where government has worked you will see refuse and debris on these channels which means, as long as government is trying to curb these excesses, our people are not helping themselves and are not helping government.
“Also, Mr Governor has established a Local Emergency Management Committee across the 16 Local Government Areas, so that it will not be the work of SEMA in Ado-Ekiti alone. The idea behind this is when you see something, you say something. If anyone sees a person or persons pouring dirt into drainages when it is about to rain or when it is raining or blocking waterways, the appropriate agency can be contacted so that such persons can be apprehended.
“Then, we have what we call the Early Warning System and Safe City Project, these are means of communication between the government and the residents. For the Safe City Project, we have a Toll Free Line 112 that can be called in case of any emergency including flooding.”
Cross River desilts drains, urges safe practices among residents
Flooding has devastated communities in Cross River’s Northern and Southern Senatorial Districts in recent times, displacing families, destroying farmlands and claiming lives, even as authorities predicted heavy rainfall this season.
Communities in the northern part of the state bear the brunt annually. Towns including Adum, Ogba, Izibollo, Mfuma, Mbora, Aladim and Aliforkpa are repeatedly submerged. Residents and officials say the floods are largely linked to the release of excess water from dams in Cameroon upstream.
In the south, heavy rainfall and overflow of the Calabar River are the dominant causes. Worst-affected areas in Odukpani Local Government Area include lowland villages such as Isong Inyang, Okpor, Ito, Ukwa, Idung Ndom, Obiokpor and Mkpara.
Within the Calabar metropolis, incomplete channelization of main drainages compounds the crisis. In Atakpa, a section of the drainage collapsed, sending flood water directly into homes.
Ekeya community is also highly vulnerable. A road project abandoned years ago left the area without proper drains. During rainy seasons, residents often abandon their homes as water spreads into houses. Lives have been lost and property worth millions destroyed.
But the state government said it has intensified sensitization on safe practices to reduce flood impact, writes Aniekan Aniekan.. Information Commissioner Erasmus Ekpang disclosed that the Ministry of Environment has been empowered for emergency intervention. He added that channelization has commenced on Parliamentary Road in Calabar.
Executive Secretary of the Calabar Urban Development Authority, Chief Ayi recently kicked off a mechanized desilting of major drains within the Calabar metropolis.
Sections covered during the flag off include the sections of the Calabar Main Channel at Target Road and also Mary Slessor where tonnes of refuse were evacuated to desilt the waterway.
Niger communities brace up for flooding
Niger is a flood-prone state. But residents say there is not a lot on the ground in terms of proactive measures by the government to suggest that the state is prepared to safeguard the people and their property from the annual disaster in the state.
In Niger, no year passes without one form of flood disaster or the other with lives, homes, and farm land lost annually.
As the rain approaches, there is already anxiety and apprehension among communities across the state.
Activities from the four hydro electricity dams in the state – Kainji, Shiroro, Jebba and lately Zungeru Hydro electricity dams in the state have continued to pose threat to the host communities in the area of flooding, reports John Adams.
In addition to this, there is the usual water overflow from the River Niger.
Last year alone the entire country was shaken to its root when an early morning rain wreaked havoc in Mokwa town, Mokwa local government area of the state with over 300 lives lost, homes and properties worth hundreds of millions destroyed.
Although communities in Mokwa local government are not strangers to flood disasters, the July 29 2025 disaster was the mother of all disasters in the area.
Although the Director General, Niger State Emergency Management Agency (NISEMA) Alhaji Mohammed Arah claimed that the state government is sensitizing the people towards taking steps to prevent a recurrence, the people said the government is far from them.
Enugu moves to avert flooding in vulnerable communities
The Enugu State Government says it has intensified efforts to prevent flooding and minimise environmental damage in vulnerable communities across the state as the rainy season progresses.
The Commissioner for Environment, Prof Samuel Ugwu, in an interview, said although flooding has not started in Enugu this year, the government is not taking chances and has put necessary structures in place to respond swiftly to any emergency.
According to him, the state has recorded minor flooding incidents in recent years, particularly in parts of Abakpa largely caused by poor drainage systems and improper channeling of water.
He told Jude Chinedu that utility vehicles and other emergency equipment have been provided to strengthen response capacity, while a dedicated climate change department continuously monitors weather patterns and deploys preventive measures when necessary.
Residents in flood-prone areas say they are also taking precautions. In Nsukka, locals have begun clearing blocked drainage systems and avoiding indiscriminate dumping of refuse in waterways after previous heavy rains flooded roads and nearby houses.
In riverine communities in Uzo-Uwani residents said they are relocating valuables to safer places and identifying higher ground in case of rising water levels.
Kogi sets up 42 IDP camps for victims
Ahead of the expected flooding activities that may affect some communities in Kogi state, the government said it has made concerted efforts to sensitise citizens and relocate those likely to be affected to safer grounds.
In Kogi , nine local government areas – Lokoja, Idah, Ofu, Ajaokuta, Koto karfi, Ibaji, Bassa, Ankpa and Dekina are always prone to the yearly flooding activities.
Although, there has been no significant cases of flood displacement in the state, it is noted that the River Niger and River Benue are gradually overflowing their banks.
Speaking with our Emmanuel Adeyemi on the level of preparedness of the state government, the State Executive Secretary of State Emergency Management Agency, (SEMA) Alh. Mouktar Atima, warned communities along the river bank to immediately relocate to safer grounds.
Just like previous years, he said 258 communities in eight local government areas of the state have been marked as flood-prone areas while 42 internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camps have been constructed to take care of those to be displaced while an emergency operations centre have been opened
Imo communities at risk of flooding, erosion, govt offers advisory
Authorities in Imo State have warned residents in some areas to remain alert, clear drainage channels, and avoid dumping waste in waterways as the rainy season intensifies.
Stanley Uzoaru reports that while major roads in Owerri, the state capital, have remained largely free of flooding this season, unlike in previous years, many rural communities across the state are still battling rising water levels.
In Umuekpu Ogbaku, Mbaitoli Local Government Area, residents say they are almost drowning in floodwaters. According to locals, each rainfall leaves the only road linking the community to the urban corridor completely submerged. The result: both vehicles and pedestrians are cut off, with movement becoming impossible until the water recedes.
State and federal governments early warning centres had listed a number of areas that may face severe risk of flooding and flash floods this year, citing heavy rainfall and challenging topography. In Owerri metropolis flash and urban flooding remain a major threat. Officials point to blocked drainage systems and indiscriminate refuse disposal as primary causes.
Low-lying communities along the Orashi River and around Oguta Lake are highly susceptible to overflowing riverbanks, including Oguta itself.
Areas in Ideato South, such as Uhuala Obibi Ochasi, and Ihioma are facing severe ecological degradation and gully erosion that often trigger sudden flooding.
Other flagged areas including Okigwe, Otoko, and Nworieubi have been marked as high-risk zones for this year’s rains.
Oyo races to beat rains as desilting continues
With the peak of the rainy season approaching, the Oyo State Government has said it is intensifying flood prevention efforts across the state, although key drainage and water channels are yet to be fully cleared.
The Commissioner for the Environment, Dr. Ademola Aderinto, told Oluseye Ojo that more than 50 per cent of the state’s critical waterways had been desilted, while the second phase of the exercise is ongoing to improve the free flow of storm water and reduce the risk of flooding.
He said the intervention was not limited to flood-prone communities, stressing that the government was carrying out desilting and other preventive measures across the state.
Beyond the physical works, Aderinto said the government had stepped up public sensitisation, and urged residents in flood-prone areas to relocate before heavy rains intensify.
According to him, many residents have complied with the advisory.
The commissioner said the state’s preparations were guided by the 2026 Seasonal Climate Prediction by the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet), which forecasts rainfall over a substantial part of the year.
Although the total rainfall is expected to be slightly below last year’s level, he warned that heavy downpours within short periods could trigger flash floods, capable of inundating roads and communities.
In a bid to strengthen flood control, he disclosed that the Oyo State New Erosion and Watershed Management Project (NEWMAP) would commence soon, with erosion control works, culvert construction and watershed management projects planned across the three senatorial districts.
However, with desilting still in progress and more phases of the exercise yet to be completed, the government appealed to residents to support its efforts by keeping drainage channels free of refuse and obeying flood warnings to minimise the impact of any flooding during the rainy season.
Anambra residents: We’re still waiting for govt
In Anambra, the government appears not to be bothered about the issue of flooding several weeks after the Federal Government listed the state among 32 others across the federation that fall within the high flood risk areas it identified in 2026.
Recently, floodwaters wreaked havoc in Ogidi community, Idemili North Local Government Area of the state, destroying houses, farmlands, and scores of household items. The raging flood also swept away some domestic animals as well as wildlife.
Residents of the community who spoke to Obinna Odogwu lamented that the flooding had become perennial, explaining that it had been happening for many years.
When contacted to find out what the state government was doing to prevent flooding especially in places prone to it, the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Mr. Christian Aburime, directed the reporter to the deputy governor, Dr. Onyeka Ibezim.
However, efforts to speak with the deputy governor, Ibezim, did not yield fruits as he did not answer calls to his phone.
