Nigeria Faces Serious Flood Risks in 226 LGAs by 2026

The Federal Government of Nigeria has disclosed that 226 local government areas across 33 states, including the Federal Capital Territory, are categorized as high flood risk zones for the year 2026. This announcement was made by the Minister of Water Resources during the presentation of the 2026 annual flood outlook by the Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency, held at the State Banquet Hall in Abuja.

The minister highlighted that thousands of communities are directly exposed to severe flooding, with states such as Abia, Adamawa, Anambra, Bauchi, Bayelsa, Benue, 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 being particularly affected. The outlook indicates that 405 local government areas across 35 states fall within a moderate flood risk category, with Ekiti state being the exception.

The government plans to introduce a new community-based flood forecast system to enhance flood prediction and response. President Bola Tinubu emphasized the administration's commitment to improving emergency response systems and fostering public awareness to mitigate the impacts of flooding.