By Ademuyiwa Balikis
The Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency (NiHSA) has issued a flood alert warning that over 800 communities in 198 Local Government Areas across 31 states and the FCT face imminent flood risks between August 7 and 21. Major transport routes are also expected to be disrupted.
In a National Flood Notification published on August 6, the agency rated the forecasted flood risk as Very High, warning of potential disruptions to over 100 major transportation routes and impacts on more than 832 communities nationwide.
The Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency (NiHSA) was established by an Act of the National Assembly in 2010 as the government’s lead agency for water resources monitoring and flood forecasting. Operating under the Federal Ministry of Water Resources, NiHSA plays a critical role in gathering, analyzing, and disseminating hydrological data across Nigeria.
States identified at very high to moderate flood risk levels include:
Adamawa, Akwa Ibom, Anambra, Bauchi, Bayelsa, Benue, Borno, Cross River, Delta, Ebonyi, Edo, FCT, Gombe, Imo, Jigawa, Kaduna, Kebbi, Kogi, Kwara, Lagos, Nasarawa, Niger, Ogun, Ondo, Plateau, Rivers, Sokoto, Taraba, Yobe, and Zamfara.
A flood risk map released alongside the notice shows central and southern corridors of the country particularly vulnerable, with thick red bands marking regions along the Niger and Benue river basins.
NiHSA urged emergency management stakeholders, state governments, and local authorities to activate response plans and ensure that communities at risk are put on evacuation alert.
