Daniel Otera
Thousands of residents across the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Niger, Nasarawa, and Kaduna States have been placed on high alert following a federal government warning of potential heavy flooding between 31 July and 4 August 2025.
The National Flood Early Warning System (FEWS), under the Federal Ministry of Environment, issued the advisory earlier this week, listing over 20 high-risk locations. The warning is based on forecasts of erratic rainfall patterns, blocked drainage systems, and rapid, unregulated urbanisation that continues to undermine environmental safety in the region.
In the FCT, flood-prone communities identified include Asokoro, Wuse, Garki, Nyanya, Gwagwalada, Damagaza, Guzape, Bwari, Gwarinpa, the Central Business District, and Kubwa.
Niger State’s high-risk zones include Suleja, Mashegu, Sarkin Pawa, and Rijau. In Nasarawa State, alerts have been issued for Mararaba, Wamba, Agima, Gidan Rogo, Rukubi, and Odogbo. For Kaduna State, the affected areas are Zaria, Jaji, Kachia, Kauru, and Buruku.
The Federal Emergency Management Department (FEMD) says it has activated its response units. Speaking in Abuja, Acting Director-General Abdulrahman Mohammed said:
“We have placed our Search and Rescue Team on red alert to forestall loss of lives if flash floods occur. Please avoid walking or driving through flooded areas. Wait for water to recede or use safer routes. Clear your drains to allow water to flow.”
Local authorities and traditional rulers have been urged to intensify awareness campaigns and activate emergency evacuation plans.
In May 2025, flooding in Mokwa, Niger State killed 151 people, displaced over 3,000, and destroyed 265 houses, according to the Niger State Emergency Management Agency (NSEMA). Over 503 households were affected.
“The scale of this disaster is unprecedented,” said Abdullahi Baba-Arah, Director-General of NSEMA, at a press briefing in Minna.
Relief efforts were delayed due to inaccessible roads and submerged farmlands, with the state government warning of possible food shortages and outbreaks of water-borne diseases.
In Abuja’s suburbs, flash floods between 2020 and 2024 claimed at least 17 lives and displaced thousands. Neighbourhoods such as Wuse, Garki, Nyanya, and Trademoore Estate in Lugbe have recorded repeat flooding incidents.
Despite repeated alerts from the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet), critical risk factors remain largely unaddressed. These include illegal structures on floodplains, blocked or poorly maintained drainage channels and weak enforcement of urban planning laws.
Trademoore Estate, for instance, has witnessed near-annual floods. Residents continue to demand answers from the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA) over unchecked construction and poor emergency response.
The issue is not unique to Abuja. In Nasarawa State, over 350,000 people were displaced by flooding in 2022. A fresh wave in 2023 damaged more than 60 homes across Lafia, Doma, and Toto.
Emergency shelters in Nasarawa were overwhelmed, with over 145,000 displaced persons across 90 communities. A joint IOM–DTM report found that 23.9% of households experienced disease outbreaks, with 89.3% of cases linked to water-borne infections such as cholera, typhoid, and dysentery.
A separate assessment by the World Health Organisation (WHO) revealed that health services in 11 of Nasarawa’s 13 LGAs were overstretched. Overcrowded shelters and poor water access were cited as high-risk conditions for disease transmission.
Unchecked construction on natural waterways is worsening Abuja’s vulnerability. In Gwarinpa and Lokogoma, unauthorised homes, shops, and even schools have been built directly on floodplains.
In February 2024, the FCT Administration demolished over 10,000 illegal structures obstructing the Arterial Road N16 corridor in Gwarinpa. Director of Development Control, Mukhtar Galadima, said:
“This place was not meant for residential use. People built without approval. We had no option but to remove them.”
Yet enforcement remains inconsistent. Despite recurring disasters, many risky zones remain untouched, either due to legal bottlenecks, political interference, or lack of funding.
According to NiMet’s 2024 Seasonal Climate Prediction, released in February, many states in the North-Central region including Benue, Nasarawa, Niger, and parts of Kogi were projected to experience delayed rainfall onset and below-average totals. Still, pockets of above-normal rainfall were expected, especially in low-lying areas.
Yet flood prevention remains underfunded. Civil society groups tracking the Ecological Fund say only a fraction of budgeted funds are disbursed. A 2023 audit by the Office of the Auditor-General highlighted multiple abandoned flood control projects across the region.
A flood mitigation contract in Toto, Nasarawa State, awarded in 2021, was only 20% completed by 2023. Similar failures were reported in Benue and Kogi, raising questions about oversight and value for money.
In July 2022, the FCTA cleared illegal structures along the Gwarinpa–Karsana corridor, reclaiming land earmarked for road expansion. By August 2023, over 500 buildings in Apo, Dutsen-Garki, and Trademoore Estate were marked for demolition for violating environmental and building codes.
Galadima reiterated that structures on waterways would continue to be removed.
Meanwhile, security agencies also flagged several illegal settlements, especially in Gwarinpa, as potential crime zones. In February 2024, thousands of squatters were displaced as shanties were cleared along the N16 road corridor.
Flood threats across Abuja, Niger, Nasarawa, and Kaduna are no longer seasonal events; they are recurring public health, urban development, and climate resilience challenges. The pattern of delayed response, weak enforcement, and underfunded prevention points to systemic governance failures.