Daniel Otera
As the rains returned this July, they brought more than water; they brought devastation. In Kabba, Kogi State, over 500 homes were swallowed by floods. In Ondo, collapsing bridges left entire communities stranded, businesses ruined, and schools submerged. But beyond the rising waters, a larger truth is emerging: floods in Nigeria are not merely natural disasters, they are manifestations of failed governance.
A fresh alert by the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) has identified 21 states across Nigeria as being at heightened risk of flooding this July, due to intensified seasonal rainfall.
States including Sokoto, Lagos, Edo, Benue, Ondo, Bayelsa, and Nasarawa are among those flagged for possible flash floods. NiMet advised that communities in low-lying areas should take urgent precautions from clearing blocked drainages to temporarily relocating and switching off electricity and gas during heavy rainfall.
Despite early advisories, residents in affected areas say state-level response remains largely reactive. Critical infrastructure is yet to be repaired, and no coordinated public sensitisation campaigns have been launched in the most vulnerable communities.
Floods in Nigeria are no longer surprises. Both NiMet and the Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency (NIHSA) issued seasonal forecasts as early as February 2025, warning of flash floods and early rainfall in the South, with delayed onset expected in eight northern states.
According to the 2025 Seasonal Climate Prediction (SCP) released on 4 February, states in the North-Central and North-East were advised to expect late rainfall, while southern states like Ondo and Delta were warned of heavy rains early in the season. The forecasts also informed the 2025 Annual Flood Outlook (AFO) by NIHSA, urging state governments to take preventive action ahead of the peak rainfall period.
“The 2025 SCP provides crucial guidance to federal and state actors, especially in flood-prone areas,” NiMet’s Director-General was quoted saying during the launch, according to Channels Television.
Yet in places like Kabba, Owo, and Ilaje, the story remains the same: communities were not caught by rain, but by repetitions of failure, poor drainage maintenance, weak environmental planning, and a chronic lack of emergency readiness.
In Idde-Iyah, a district of Kabba, Chief Obahunlewo, a retired police officer, lost his home and all his belongings to the flood.
“He’s currently undergoing treatment,” a neighbour said. “Watching everything you’ve built your whole life go underwater can break anyone.”
More than 1,500 livestock perished. Churches, mosques, and schools were left in ruins.
“This is not the first flood we’ve seen,” another resident added. “But this is the worst and we begged for drainage clearance before the rain started.”
In Ondo State, a three-day downpour led to the collapse of seven bridges across Owo, Ese-Odo, and Okitipupa local government areas. Families in Uso, Ayeka, Ikoya, and Igbodigo were forced to evacuate some wading through chest-deep waters, with no access to roads, power, or rescue.
“The rain wasn’t the problem it’s the blocked gutters, the silted rivers, the roads they never finished,” said a trader in Owo, whose shop was submerged. “We warned them last year. Nothing was done.”
On 7 July, NiMet issued a renewed alert, warning that Lagos, Sokoto, Benue, Ogun, Delta, and 16 other states are at probable or high risk of flash flooding. The advisory urged residents to relocate where necessary, clear blocked drainages, prepare emergency kits, and turn off power and gas during severe rain.
“Residents in flood-prone areas are strongly advised to take preventive measures to reduce exposure to risk,” the agency stated.
But for millions of low-income Nigerians, such precautions are easier said than done.
Despite more accurate forecasts, NiMet’s early warnings remain meaningless to those living in informal settlements and rural towns where basic drainage, shelter, and information systems are virtually non-existent.
According to a joint investigation by SaharaReporters and BudgIT, less than 15% of environmental protection funds allocated in flood-prone states such as Kogi and Ondo were actually released and utilised in 2024. Many drainage and erosion control projects were either abandoned or never initiated, while emergency shelter plans remained unexecuted.
For instance, between September 2023 and July 2024, Kogi State received approximately ₦1.3 billion in ecological funds. Yet, only ₦8.6 million was spent on flood and erosion control in the first half of 2024.
As in previous years, rumours spread that Cameroon’s Lagdo Dam had been opened, causing downstream flooding in Nigeria. But the Federal Government refuted the claim.
“There was no release of water from the Lagdo Dam,” said Minister of Water Resources, Prof. Joseph Utsev. “I personally spoke to the Dam Manager, Mr Ahmad Bivoung, on 7 July. The water level is still below the danger threshold.”
With no external trigger, the spotlight returns to Nigeria’s own flood preparedness or lack of it.
The consequences of Nigeria’s floods extend far beyond material loss. Experts warn that annual displacement especially in rural areas contributes to worsening food insecurity, increased school dropouts, and rural-to-urban migration.
A 2024 joint report by UNICEF and the World Bank estimates that over 900,000 children were affected by flooding in Nigeria last year, with many unable to attend school for several months. The destruction of classrooms, combined with prolonged family displacement, is deepening Nigeria’s educational crisis in vulnerable states.
Environmental and governance experts insist that most flood disasters in Nigeria are entirely preventable, provided there is political will and accountability.
According to Philip Jakpor, Executive Director of the Renevlyn Development Initiative, agencies like the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) often ignore early flood warnings and only act post-disaster. “NEMA is more reactive than proactive,” he noted, despite access to early-warning systems.
Umar Yakubu of the Centre for Fiscal Transparency and Integrity Watch added that the mismanagement of the Ecological Fund especially by state and local governments continues to sabotage national flood preparedness. “The issue is not just lack of funds, but how those funds are managed,” he explained.
Urban planners and environmental engineers have also flagged poor town planning, indiscriminate waste disposal, and weak building regulation enforcement as key contributors to worsening flood impacts.
Nigeria’s floods are no longer emergencies; they are a predictable pattern. But if rainfall is expected, then so too should be a robust, coordinated, and preventive response.
Until these become priorities rather than afterthoughts, the rainy season will keep arriving and so will the ruin it brings.