Nigeria Warns of Flood Risks for 30 States in 2026

On Wednesday, the Federal Government of Nigeria, represented by Engr. Joseph Utsev, the Minister of Water Resources, released the 2026 annual flood outlook at a public presentation in Abuja. The report warns that 30 states, including Lagos, Bayelsa, Delta, and Adamawa, are at high risk of flooding as the rainy season commences.

The Nigerian Hydrological Services Agency (NIHSA) highlighted that 14,118 communities across 266 local government areas (LGAs) are within high flood risk areas. The states identified include Abia, Adamawa, Anambra, Bauchi, Bayelsa, Benu, Borno, Cross River, Delta, Ebonyi, Edo, Enugu, Gombe, Imo, Jigawa, Kaduna, Kano, Kebbi, Kogi, Kwara, Lagos, Nasarawa, Niger, Ogun, Ondo, Osun, Oyo, Plateau, Rivers, Sokoto, Taraba, Yobe, and Zamfara.

The report calls for action to prepare for the flood season, urging state governments and local authorities to integrate flood risk considerations into urban planning and infrastructure design.