The Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency (NIHSA) has issued a flood advisory, warning that 14 states face a medium flood risk between July 14 and July 20, as rising water levels threaten communities, schools, health facilities and markets.
The agency’s Director-General, Mr. Umar Mohammed, said the alert is based on NIHSA’s latest hydrological forecast, which predicts localised flooding along major river channels and identifies 16 monitoring stations as high-risk locations.
The states expected to be affected are Adamawa, Akwa Ibom, Anambra, Bauchi, Benue, Borno, Cross River, Edo, Enugu, Imo, Kaduna, Lagos, Niger and Plateau.
Mohammed explained that the Annual Flood Outlook (AFO) provides nationwide flood predictions and analyses of likely flood scenarios during the rainy season to improve disaster preparedness, response planning and risk reduction.
He urged state governments, emergency management agencies and residents to strengthen early warning systems, reinforce evacuation plans and intensify public awareness campaigns to minimise the impact of flooding.
The NIHSA boss identified Saminaka on the Karam River, the Waya Dam site on the Waya River and Amber on the Amber River as key locations along the projected flood path.
He advised residents of flood-prone communities to relocate to safer areas where necessary, clear blocked drainage channels, avoid walking or driving through flooded roads, and monitor NIHSA’s flood forecasts for timely updates.
Mohammed also called on emergency management agencies to pre-position relief materials and activate community-based early warning systems to reduce the impact of potential flooding and protect vulnerable communities.
