A national flood awareness campaign launched by the Federal Government will start in May 2025 to teach Nigerians about flood dangers and protective procedures.
During an interview with our correspondent Mr. Kunle Awojemila explained this point as the Deputy Director of the Department of Flood Erosion Control and Coastal Management within the Federal Ministry of Environment.
The Federal Government issued a projection stating that 1,249 communities spread across 176 Local Government Areas in 30 states along with the Federal Capital Territory will face major flooding from April until November this year.
Mr Awojemila announced that flood awareness sensitization programs will start their campaign during the first week of May.
Our sensitization processes in the Federal Capital Territory will start at Dutse before proceeding to Lugbe and Lokogoma before reaching other regions.
States across Nigeria will conduct their awareness initiatives one after the other.
Prof. Joseph Utsev the Minister of Water Resources and Sanitation presented the states vulnerable to flooding at the official presentation of the 2025 Annual Flood Outlook by the Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency in Abuja as Abia, Adamawa, Akwa Ibom, Anambra, Bauchi, Bayelsa, Benue, Borno, Cross River, Delta, Ebonyi, Edo, Gombe, Imo, and Jigawa.
The list of affected states extends to Kebbi, Kogi, Kwara, Lagos, Nasarawa, Niger, Ogun, Ondo, Osun, Oyo, Rivers, Sokoto, Taraba, Yobe, Zamfara, and the Federal Capital Territory.
Climate change continues to augment disastrous flooding events in Nigeria and their occurrence frequency according to the minister.
The minister stated that Bayelsa and Cross River alongside Delta and Lagos together with Ogun and Rivers and Ondo face heightened flooding risks because of rising sea levels causing tidal surges affecting fishing and wildlife habitats as well as river transportation systems.
Meanwhile, data from the National Emergency Management Agency revealed that in 2024, flood disasters affected 217 local government areas across 34 states. A total of 1,373,699 people were impacted, with 740,734 displaced and 321 fatalities recorded.
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Additionally 2,854 people sustained different levels of injuries and floodwaters wiped out thousands of hectares of cultivated farmland.
During a Sunday event Mrs. Zubaida Umar advised NEMA members to increase their emergency preparedness starting at the basic level before the rainy season threatens with potential flood disasters.
The DG voiced his opinion through Dr. Kofoworola Soleye who leads the Ekiti operations office of NEMA that educating primary residents about flood hazards and safety practices and emergency responses matters especially now that rainy season approaches.
A five-day Sensitisation on Awareness Campaign on Grassroots Emergency Preparedness and Awareness Drive ran its course at the event.
Umar explained that NEMA initiated this program to fill gaps in flood-prone communities regarding awareness.
Flood events during recent times have taken numerous lives while costing millions of naira in property destruction according to her statement. Several communities still do not know the basic flood preparedness steps and disaster response procedures in place despite current emergency response activities.
As part of the emergency preparedness program NEMA-GEPAD operates through “a community-focused high-impact sensitization programme” which delivers necessary education to high-risk populations directly.
The program will focus on personal community participation and demonstration activities that directly educate locals about exposure dangers and defensive steps for emergencies according to Umar.
Officials from NEMA conducted visits to high-risk locations including Ikere Ekiti and Ido Ekiti to work with leaders and stakeholders for spreading urgent safety information.
During the outreach program residents in flood-prone areas of Ikere and Ido/Osi local government areas received guidance about evacuation procedures and instructions to move to safe elevations as water elevations increase.
The agency reaffirmed its ongoing request for community engagement because proactive preparedness and prompt actions can minimize disaster-related damage from natural occurrences.
