Olusegun ‘Pelumi Olukoga
Flooding in Nigeria is growing more intense and frequent, as climate change makes rainy seasons wetter and rivers overflow their banks. In 2022, record floods struck 34 of 36 states, killing over 600 people and displacing about 1.3 million (UNICEF, 2022). Homes and farms were devastated: in Akwa Ibom, 24% of flooded households lost their homes and 87% saw crops destroyed (Brendan et al., 2023). In Maiduguri, families in low-lying camps waded through floodwaters as overflowing dams and poor drainage failed to protect them. Floods also fuel deadly diseases: by late 2024, cholera cases had surged over 220% year-on-year as stagnant waters contaminated wells and sanitation collapsed (Obiezu, 2024).
A displaced woman walks through floodwaters in an IDP camp outside Maiduguri, Borno State. (Abass, 2023; Oduolowu, 2025).
The human toll is staggering. UNICEF (2022) reported that the most severe flooding in the past decade left 2.5 million people in need of aid—60% of them children—at high risk of waterborne illness, drowning, and malnutrition. By November 2024, nearly 9 million Nigerians had been affected: floods destroyed 1.5 million hectares of cropland, triggered food shortages, and pushed at least 25 million people into acute food insecurity (Adetayo, 2024). Experts warn of a vicious cycle: yearly floods inundate homes and farms, worsening scarcity and spreading malaria, typhoid, and cholera. After a 2024 dam collapse, Borno Health Commissioner Baba Gana Mallam cautioned that contaminated waters created ideal conditions for cholera (Obiezu, 2024).
The maps confirm an uneven but severe exposure. In northeast Nigeria, researchers using GIS flood models found that 73% of surveyed IDP camp sites in Maiduguri lie in high or very high flood-risk zones. A visual overlay shows dozens of camps built on flat plains near streams. HumAngle’s analysis of Borno City (Maiduguri) flagged about 31 settlements as flood-vulnerable (Akinyemi, 2021). Such findings prompted a local researcher to lament: “It is a failure on the part of the government… These are people who are facing trauma, and then you site a camp in an area prone to flooding,” stressing that camps should never be placed in floodplains.
Clearly, more must be done before the rainy seasons strike. Policymakers, communities and media have begun calling for a multi-pronged resilience strategy. These include: robust data and early warning; green infrastructure to soak up storms; and community-based training and response. Each element is urgent and data-driven, as outlined below:
- Authorities should develop clear flood-risk maps and forecasts in local languages so farmers and villagers understand the threats. Youth-led groups such as the Geohazard Risk Mapping Initiative (GRMI) already use GIS to identify community susceptibility. GRMI founder Taiwo Ogunwumi observes that despite government alerts, there is a gap in the availability and communication of flood hazard early warning information at the community level (Saint, 2022). States can collaborate with the Nigeria Met Agency (NiMet), NEMA, and groups like GRMI to deliver alerts via SMS, radio, and apps when river levels rise. In Kwara State, bulletins on imminent flooding have enabled farmers to move livestock and food before roads are cut off. Officials in Niger and Kwara State stress translating warnings into local dialects to reach rural communities (Agency Report, 2025). Hotlines or texts linked to river gauges can give hours—or even days—of notice, helping communities evacuate, safeguard harvests, and reduce losses.
- Expanding parks, wetlands, and “rain gardens” in cities can slow storm runoff, as natural buffers absorb water that would otherwise sweep streets and farms. Some cities already plan dual-use parks; the World Bank–supported Ibadan Flood Risk project, for example, envisions parks that double as retention basins. National policies could also mandate rainwater features and green spaces in new developments. Coastal states should accelerate mangrove restoration now in pilot programs, since swamps along the Niger Delta and Lagos coast trap surges and filter floodwaters. Lagos suffers severe flooding partly because decades of urbanization destroyed its mangroves (Oduolowu, 2025), and analysts warn recurring loss heightens the risk of unprecedented crisis. Practical steps include banning wetland cutting, incentivizing replanting, and creating detention ponds or restored creek beds in mid-sized cities. A Calabar study recommended retention ponds and drainage upgrades (Nkan & Umoh, 2016). Though requiring investment, such measures save far more in avoided damage.
- Empowering local volunteers saves lives during floods. Citizens trained in first aid, evacuation, and sanitation form the first line of defense. In flood-prone Borno State, volunteer river-rescue teams used boats and youth patrols after the 2024 deluge to reach stranded families. Red Cross and NEMA have also trained community “flood champions” in some zones. Experts urge expanding such efforts: inflatable boats and life jackets should be stored at clinics or town halls in the 11–12 most vulnerable states (Benue, Kogi, Niger, Kwara, Anambra, Delta, Bayelsa, Rivers, Adamawa, Kebbi, Taraba, etc.) (Moses, 2025). Pre-positioned gear enables rapid evacuations, while medical kits and safe water stations should be stockpiled. Training must involve women, youth, and traditional leaders, who often lead coping in crises. Existing patrols by farmers, fishermen, and hunters can be enlisted. As Agency Report (2025) noted, proactive preparedness will “strengthen community resilience and minimise the impact of flooding.
Each day of inaction undermines safety and deepens economic strain. Climate models predict heavier rains, making floods inevitable unless adaptation improves. The toll is already severe: over 569,000 hectares of farmland were destroyed in the 2022 floods (UNDP, 2023), while 2024’s floods wiped out an estimated 855,629 metric tons of food (Bankole, 2025). Yam farmers warn that without better drainage and watershed management, 2025 floods will devastate farmlands and worsen food insecurity. Every flooded home worsens the housing crisis, and every waterborne disease burdens hospitals. The message is clear: floods are not random “acts of God” but a recurring crisis demanding investment. Government at all levels must act—using risk data, local warnings, urban green buffers, and trained volunteers. UNICEF warns tens of millions of children already face “extremely high risk” from climate shocks. Coordinated readiness is urgent: only proactive action can break the cycle before the skies pour again.
‘Pelumi, a broadcast journalist,
Student and researcher, wrote via
olusegunolukoga@gmail.com
