Nigeria’s Devastating Floods: 49 Lives Lost, Over 41,000 Displaced

At least 49 people have been killed and tens of thousands displaced in Nigeria’s northeast following heavy rains that triggered devastating floods, the National Emergency Management Authority (NEMA) reported on Monday.

The states hardest hit by the flooding—Jigawa, Adamawa, and Taraba—have seen 41,344 people displaced from their homes, according to NEMA spokesperson Manzo Ezekiel.

This disaster comes as Nigeria continues to grapple with the aftermath of its worst flooding in over a decade, which struck in 2022, claiming more than 600 lives, displacing around 1.4 million people, and ravaging 440,000 hectares of farmland.

“We are just entering into the peak of the season, particularly in the northern part of the country and the situation is very dire,” Ezekiel told Reuters.

The floods have not only caused significant human displacement but also inflicted severe damage on the agricultural sector, with approximately 693 hectares of farmland destroyed. This further exacerbates Nigeria’s economic challenges, as the country battles double-digit inflation, largely driven by soaring food prices.

The impact on farming is especially concerning in the northeast, where farmers are already abandoning their lands due to persistent militant attacks, compounding the region’s food security issues.

Earlier this year, the government’s flood outlook had warned that 31 of Nigeria’s 36 states were at risk of experiencing severe flooding.

“We also have information about the high tide in the upper countries of the River Niger before Nigeria. All of these are flowing towards Nigeria. We are beginning to see a manifestation of our predictions,” Ezekiel added.

In July, NEMA had issued warnings of impending major floods in certain Local Government Areas (LGAs) of Rivers State.

During a workshop in Port Harcourt focused on “Downscaling of flood early warning strategies for early actions,” NEMA’s Director of Risk Reduction, Godwin Tepikor, urged local government authorities to take proactive measures to mitigate the flood’s impact.

The agency’s Zonal Director, Babatunde Adebiyi, identified 13 LGAs in Rivers State as high-risk areas, including Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni, Degema, and Ahoada East and West. The agency is working to prepare these communities for the anticipated flooding.

In addition, NEMA has predicted that eight LGAs in Zamfara State will face moderate flooding during the 2024 rainy season.

According to the agency’s Director-General in Zamfara, Zubaida Umar, these areas include Bugundu, Gummi, Gusau, Bakura, Maradun, Talata Mafara, Shinkafi, and Zurmi.

The Nigerian Hydrological Services Agency (NIHSA), in its 2024 Annual Flood Outlook, has highlighted that 31 states with 148 LGAs are at high risk of flooding, while 35 states, including the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), with 249 LGAs, are considered to be at moderate risk. The remaining 377 LGAs are forecasted to experience low flood risk.

As the rainy season progresses, authorities and communities remain on high alert, bracing for what could be another catastrophic year of flooding in Nigeria.