10 states battling flooding, 21 others at risk, FG warns

On Thursday, the Federal Government announced that as the rains increased, ten states and the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, had either experienced varying degrees of flooding or had reported casualties.

During a news conference in Abuja, Minister of Water Resources and Sanitation Prof. Joseph Utsev issued the red alert, indicating that floods would occur in 21 additional states.

In light of the Wednesday rains that halted business and commerce in Lagos and Ogun states, he made this statement.

As a result of the floods, inhabitants in the Mushin neighbourhood of Lagos were overrun and a two-story building collapsed. In certain areas of the state, students were unable to attend classes.

Additionally, the floods in the Lagos neighbourhood of Ketu carried away a student.

According to Utsev, the Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency's Annual Flood Outlook, which was published in April, indicated that 148 local government areas in 31 states were considered to be at high danger of flooding.

Adamawa, Akwa Ibom, Anambra, Bauchi, Bayelsa, Benue, Borno, Cross River, Delta, Ebonyi, Edo, Imo, Jigawa, Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, and Kebbi are among the states that are impacted.

The others are Rivers, Plateau, Yobe, Sokoto, Taraba, Lagos, Nasarawa, Niger, Ogun, Ondo, Osun, and Oyo.

Cholera could spread.

The ministry issued a warning that the flooding could cause cholera to spread farther throughout Nigeria.

He went on to say that river flooding would affect 12 states, including Ondo, Kaduna, Anambra, Benue, and Adamawa, starting this month.

As per his statement, among the thirty-one states where the Annual Flood Outlook predicted would experience flooding, the incident had occurred in 10.
"It should be noted that some states have started experiencing varying levels of flooding and its associated disasters as early as April this year," Utsev stated, providing a national update on floods.

Over ten federation states and the Federal Capital Territory have so far encountered flooding to varying degrees, resulting in multiple fatalities such as property destruction and human displacement.

"Trade More Estate in Lugbe experienced flooding as a result of the heavy rain that fell in the early hours of June 24, 2024, in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), resulting in the reports of two fatalities and numerous houses being submerged."

"LGAs (local government areas) Kuje, Gwagwalada, Bwari, and Kwali have also been inundated," he said, referring to the Abuja Municipal Council. Anambra (Onitsha North); Edo (Benin); Benue (Makurdi); Kwara (Oke-Ero, Moro); Lagos (Agege, Alimosho, Ikorodu, Lagos Island, Ikeja, Eti-Osa); Ogun (Ijebu-Ode); Osun (Oriade); Nasarawa (Doma); Taraba (Takum, Sarduna); and Yobe are among the other impacted states and LGAs.

"Noteworthy is the fact that an increase in the frequency and intensity of rainfall, especially in the southern region of the nation, will exacerbate flooding and potentially exacerbate the devastating cholera outbreak."

As of June 30, 2024, 2,102 suspected cases and 63 deaths were reported as a result of the cholera outbreak, according to the National Centre for Disease Control.

According to the minister of water resources, the majority of the flood incidents recorded so far were flash/urban floods resulting from high rainfall intensities of long duration and poor and blocked drainage systems in the urban areas and their metropolises.

Kainji dam

"Water is still being obstructed into the reservoirs of the Kainji and Jebba Dams on the River Niger as of right now. The Shiroro Dam on the Kaduna River also holds back water. As of now, no water has been released from any of the dams located within or outside of Nigeria.

It is crucial to note at this point that river flooding is anticipated to start this month, in July 2024. Akwa Ibom, Anambra, Adamawa, Benue, Bayelsa, Cross River, Delta, Edo, Jigawa, Kogi, Kebbi, Kaduna, Niger, Nasarawa, Ondo, Ogun, Rivers, Taraba, and the Federal Capital Territory are the states that are anticipated to be affected by this, according to Utsev.

The minister noted that, as an organisation under his direction, the Nigeria Hydrological Services organisation produced the 2024 Annual Flood Outlook, which he presented to the public in April 2024.

The agency is in charge of monitoring all of Nigeria's major rivers, including the transboundary Rivers Niger and Benue, and providing information on flood forecasts and alarms.

According to the AFO, 148 LGA in 31 states are located in areas with a high risk of flooding, 249 LGA are located in areas with a moderate risk of flooding, and the other 377 LGA are located in areas with a low risk of flooding.

Adamawa, Akwa-Ibom, Anambra, Bauchi, Bayelsa, Benue, Borno, Cross-River, Delta, Ebonyi, Edo, Gombe, Imo, Jigawa, Kaduna, Kano, Kebbi, Kogi, Kwara, Lagos, Nasarawa, Niger, Ogun, Ondo, Osun, Oyo, Rivers, Sokoto, Taraba, Yobe, Zamfara, and the Federal Capital Territory are among the states with a high risk of flooding, according to Utsev.

The minister emphasised that Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroun, Chad, Cote D'Ivoire, Guinea, Mali, and Niger are among the eight nations that occupy the River Niger Basin, which contains Nigeria.

The nation is located in the basin's lowest point. This implies that Nigeria should be ready for flooding incidents to occur once the upper catchment of the basin is flooded. It is significant to remember that in the Niger Basin, June 2024 marks the start of the hydrological year 2024–2025.

"The rising water levels at our various monitoring stations in Niamey are still within acceptable levels, so the flow situation within the catchment is currently within normal."

"At Jiderebode, the first monitoring station on the River Niger in Nigeria, upstream of the Kainji and Jebba reservoirs in Kebbi State, the flow situation is normal. This also holds true for the flow at the junction of the Niger and Benue rivers in Lokoja, Kogi State.

Additionally, we are keeping an eye on the progress made in the River Benue Sub-Basin. Here, the flow from the upstream Cameroun is received at our first monitoring station, Wuroboki in Adamawa State. There is now no need for concern over water releases in the Benue River basin because the flow situation at Wuroboki is comparatively normal.

We have been notified by the Lagdo Dam operators that they are now filling the dam in order to generate hydropower. But as the crucial months get near, we'll continue to keep an eye on developments on this flank and closely watch other monitoring stations, the speaker said.

The NIHSA's Director-General, Clement Nze, emphasised the consultative role of the federal government while pointing out that local and enforcement actions belonged to the states.

He said that in order to reduce the risk of flooding, the central government would keep working to build buffer dams next to Cameroon's Lagdo Dam.

Residents of Ogun villages and Lagos are still tallying their losses from the floods that occurred on Wednesday as a result of the 12-hour rainstorm.

According to reports, a student named Joshua drowned in the Ketu neighbourhood of Lagos following the flooding that ravaged the area and other parts of Lagos.
According to numerous interviews conducted with those affected by the flooding on Thursday, some people lost property as a result of the flood damaging their homes, while the pupil was completely submerged by the water.

Joshua was washed away on Wednesday in the Ikosi neighbourhood of Ketu, Lagos, according to a source who begged to remain anonymous and told our correspondent when he was returning from school.

The youngster and his classmates were returning from school when the incident happened, according to the source who spoke with our journalist after the rain.

He said that a plank that was utilised as a bridge over the drainage had been carried away by the flood, and Joshua was not aware of this.

"They fell into the drainage," he stated, adding that the plank that was used to span the canal was totally submerged in water.

Joshua did not survive the tide, despite the residents' best efforts to save the student. His mother is still inconsolable at this time.

The incident was confirmed by a senior police official at the Ketu Division who was not permitted to speak to the media.

"That is a sad occurrence," the officer remarked. Upon learning about the occurrence, even though it was not formally reported, we expressed our sympathy to the family.

In a related story, our correspondent was informed by a resident of Lagos' Aguda neighbourhood going by the name Aluta Mama that several of her household items were underwater.

She continued by saying that she had to leave their house with her family as they waited for the flood to pass.

"It hits hard. We had to depart from our house for the flood to subdue. Some of my properties and appliances were submerged in the flood,” Aluta Mama said.
Anuoluwapo Atanda, a different resident of Agege, Lagos State's Pen Cinema neighbourhood, revealed that although the water did not harm her—living in a multi-story building—it did affect the people residing on the ground floor of her home.

Since my house is multi-story, the people living upstairs were unaffected, but the people living downstairs were unable to save their belongings when they