As death toll in last Wednesday?s flood disaster in communities in Mokwa Local Government Area of Niger State spike, apprehension and palpable tension have gripped residents of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and over 30 states across the country.

In April, the Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency (NIHSA) had warned that 1,249 communities across 176 local government areas in 33 states and the FCT were within the high flood-risk areas in 2025.

According to a forecast issued during the official presentation of the 2025 Annual Flood Outlook (AFO) by the Minister of Water Resources and Sanitation, Prof. Joseph Utsev, in Abuja, an additional 2,187 communities in 293 LGAs across 31 states and the FCT are expected to experience moderate flood risk this year.

States identified in the high-risk category include Abia, Adamawa, Akwa Ibom, Anambra, Bauchi, Bayelsa, Benue, Borno, Cross River, Delta, Ebonyi, Edo, the FCT, Gombe Imo, Jigawa, Kebbi, Kogi, Kwara, Lagos, Nasarawa, Niger, Ogun, Ondo, Osun, Oyo, Rivers, Sokoto, Taraba, Yobe and Zamfara.

While the Federal Government revealed that 321 deaths were recorded in the 2024 flooding and 1,373,699 others were affected in 217 LGAs in 34 states, the casualty figure in Mokwa alone has hit 161, while unofficial sources put the figure at over 200, with more than 1,000 others still reportedly unaccounted for. Scores of houses and properties were also washed away.

Amid the tears and sorrow, the Northern Elders Forum (NEF), in a condolence message issued by its spokesperson, Professor Abubakar Jika Jiddere, has expressed grave concern over the recurring nature of floods, citing climate change, poor urban planning, weak environmental management, and inadequate disaster preparedness as key underlying issues.

?This painful tragedy is not an isolated event. It echoes similar devastating floods that swept through several parts of Northern Nigeria in the past years, highlighting an alarming trend of recurrent natural disasters that continue to inflict severe humanitarian and socio-economic consequences on affected communities.

?The Forum is profoundly concerned by the recurring nature of these flood incidents, which reflect not only changing climate patterns but also systemic challenges in the areas of urban planning, environmental management, and disaster preparedness.

?The loss of so many lives and the scale of destruction witnessed in Niger State demand a robust, coordinated, and sustained response at the highest levels of government.?

Meanwhile, various agencies with disaster management and governments have stepped up efforts and preparation to checkmate future disasters and mitigate and manage their impact. For instance, the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) is effectively leading the charge and has held awareness campaigns in flood-prone states, including Kano, Jigawa, Ondo and others.

Director-General, Zubaida Umar, confirmed that the NEMA has organised a two-day technical meeting to analyse the disaster risk management of Seasonal Climate Prediction (SCP) and Annual Flood Outlook (AFO)

Umar, who spoke in Ondo State yesterday, assured that with the use of weather satellite surveillance and flood risk modelling software, NEMA has been able to forecast at 90 per cent accuracy of rainfall patterns in the country for all Local Government Areas (LGAs).

?They have also determined areas that are of high risk probability of being flooded. NEMA, working with NiMet and NIHSA tools, has been able to analyse and produce Disaster Risk Management implications of the forecast for Agriculture, Health, infrastructure, Transportation and Water resources management.

?This has been deployed further to sensitise communities, LGAs and states that are likely to be impacted by flooding on how to act and live with it when it eventually happens.? (Daily Sun)

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