The Federal Government has predicted heavy rains and floods in 30 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja this year.
The Minister of Water Resources and Sanitation, Joseph Utsev, disclosed this on Thursday, April 10, during the public presentation of the 2025 Annual Flood Outlook by the Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency (NIHSA) in Abuja.
He mentioned that high-flood risk states include Abia, Adamawa, Akwa Ibom, Anambra, Bauchi, Bayelsa, Benue, Borno, Cross-River, Delta, Ebonyi, Edo, Gombe, Imo, Jigawa, Kebbi, Kogi, Kwara, Lagos, Nasarawa, Niger, Ogun, Ondo, Osun, Oyo, Rivers, Sokoto, Taraba, Yobe, Zamfara and the Federal Capital Territory.
Utsev stated that coastal and riverine flooding would be experienced in some parts of the South-South geopolitical zone of the country due to a rise in sea level. Among these states are Bayelsa, Cross River, Delta, and Rivers while Akwa-Ibom and Edo fall under the high-flood risk states.
The minister disclosed that flooding remained one of the most devastating natural disasters in Nigeria with climate change accelerating its frequency and severity.
He revealed that 1,249 communities in 176 Local Government Areas (LGAs) across 30 states and the FCT fall within high-risk flood zones this year, while an additional 2,187 communities in 293 LGAs face moderate flood risks. Key risk areas include Abia, Benue, Lagos, Bayelsa, Rivers, and Jigawa, among others.