The Federal Ministry of Environment has issued a flood alert for 14 states, warning that 43 locations across the country may experience heavy rainfall and possible flooding between September 4 and 8, 2025.
The warning, released on Thursday by the National Flood Early Warning Centre and signed by the Director of the Erosion, Flood and Coastal Zone Management Department, Usman Abdullahi Bokani, comes amid mounting concerns over Nigeria’s vulnerability to climate change and inadequate drainage infrastructure.
Flooding remains one of the country’s most persistent environmental challenges, often leaving thousands displaced, farmlands destroyed, and communities battling outbreaks of waterborne diseases.
States at Risk
According to the alert, communities expected to be impacted include:
- Ebonyi State: Afikpo
- Cross River State: Edor, Ikom, Itigidi, Akpap
- Kano State: Gwarzo, Karaye
- Zamfara State: Anka, Gummi, Kaura Namoda, Maradun, Shinkafi, Bukkuyum
- Taraba State: Dampar, Duchi, Garkowa, Gassol, Gembu, Gun Gun Bodel, Kambari, Mayo Ranewo, Mutum Biyu, Bandawa, Ngaruwa
- Abia State: Eziama, Umuahia
- Yobe State: Geidam, Kanama, Potiskum
- Plateau State: Langtang, Shendam, Wase
- Borno State: Ngala
- Imo State: Okigwe, Otoko
- Niger State: Sarki Pawa
- Sokoto State: Sokoto, Wamakko, Isa, Shagari, Makira
- Kaduna State: Kafanchan
- Akwa Ibom State: Oron
The ministry urged residents of the identified areas to remain vigilant and adhere to safety advisories.
China’s $1m Flood Relief Support
The alert comes shortly after Nigeria received a $1 million flood relief donation from the Chinese government to support victims in the northern states.
At a signing ceremony in Abuja, Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Abubakar Bagudu, said the intervention was “timely” and would help deliver relief materials and rebuild livelihoods in affected communities.
“We firmly believe that today’s signing ceremony will open new avenues for collaboration, strengthening our strategic partnership for the mutual benefit of our peoples,” Bagudu stated.
He assured that the funds would be managed transparently under a joint monitoring and evaluation mechanism with the Chinese Embassy.
Chinese Ambassador to Nigeria, Yu Dunhai, expressed solidarity, recalling that both countries had recently endured devastating floods. “In times of difficulty, China and Nigeria always stand together,” he said.
Weather Outlook
The Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) had earlier forecast thunderstorms and rainfall across parts of the north, including Jigawa, Zamfara, Kano, Kaduna, Bauchi, Yobe, and Katsina. The agency also warned of possible flash floods in Bauchi, Jigawa, Katsina, Kaduna, and Kano States during the period.
The latest federal warning underscores the urgency for communities, state governments, and emergency agencies to prepare for severe weather events, as Nigeria braces for another cycle of seasonal flooding.
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