Over 1,200 Communities at High Risk of Flooding in 2025, NIHSA Warns
As Nigeria braces for another year of climate-induced challenges, the Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency (NIHSA) has issued a stark warning: 1,249 communities across 30 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) are at high risk of devastating floods in 2025.
Unveiling the 2025 Annual Flood Outlook (AFO) in Abuja on Thursday, Joseph Utsev, Minister of Water Resources and Sanitation, described the flooding as “one of the most destructive natural disasters facing Nigeria,” emphasizing that its frequency and intensity are worsening due to climate change.
In addition to the high-risk zones, NIHSA flagged 2,187 communities in 293 local government areas (LGAs) as falling within moderate-risk flood zones.
States expected to bear the brunt of the severe flooding include Abia, Benue, Lagos, Bayelsa, Rivers, and Jigawa, among others.
To tackle the looming threat, NIHSA announced a more granular and community-focused approach to forecasting. The new system, part of its Community-Based Predicting Initiative, aims to provide location-specific and actionable early warnings to empower residents and mitigate disaster impacts.
“Early warning is only useful if it’s understood and acted upon,” Utsev said. “This year’s AFO introduces a refined forecasting mechanism that delivers seasonal, monthly, and hyper-local predictions.”
In a bid to strengthen resilience and reduce losses, the federal government also unveiled several strategic interventions. Chief among them is the National Flood Insurance Programme (NFIP) — Nigeria’s first-ever flood-specific insurance scheme designed to protect vulnerable households, farms, and livestock. The initiative will debut in Kogi and Jigawa as pilot states.
The Integrated Climate Resilience Innovation Project (I-CRIP): targeting improvements in food security, energy, and water use through climate-smart solutions. The NigerFLOOD Project: a comprehensive plan for river management and flood control along major water bodies.
The urgency is clear. In 2024 alone, floods claimed 321 lives, affected over 1.37 million Nigerians, and displaced more than 740,000.
