The Nigerian Government has placed 2,000 locations across 33 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) on varying levels of flood risk, with 915 communities in 19 states classified as being at critical risk and requiring immediate preparedness and protective measures.
The latest flood prediction, issued on Thursday, August 27, by the National Flood Early Warning Systems Centre (FEWSC) of the Federal Ministry of Environment, covers the period from August 27 to September 9, 2026.
The Centre warned that a combination of high soil moisture, heavy rainfall, rapid surface runoff, drainage surcharge and rising river levels could trigger flooding during the period.
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In the advisory signed by the Director, Erosion, Flood and Coastal Zone Management Department, Usman Abdullahi Bokani, the government urged residents in critical-risk areas to maintain immediate flood watch and verify evacuation routes.
According to the advisory, 429 locations across seven states have been classified as high risk, while another 656 locations in 13 states are on the moderate-risk watchlist.
The Centre said the classifications were based on its community-level flood-risk dataset and should be considered alongside real-time local observations and official emergency directives.
The 915 critical-risk locations are spread across Kogi, Benue, Rivers, Edo, Delta, Cross River, Bayelsa, Akwa Ibom, Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu, Imo, Ekiti, Lagos, Ogun, Ondo, Osun and Oyo states.
Several major urban centres and riverine communities are among those facing heightened flood risks.
The locations listed include Lokoja and Idah in Kogi State; Makurdi, Agatu and Guma in Benue; Port Harcourt, Bonny and Degema in Rivers; Benin City and other communities in Edo; Asaba and Warri in Delta; as well as Calabar, Yenagoa, Uyo, Aba, Onitsha, Enugu and Owerri.
Lagos is also among the states with locations classified as critical risk. The affected areas include Apapa, Badagry, Epe, Eti-Osa, Ikeja, Ikorodu, Lekki, Lagos Island, Ojo, Surulere and Agege, among others.
Several communities in Ogun, Ondo, Osun and Oyo states were similarly placed in the critical-risk category.
In northern Nigeria, the Centre identified high-risk locations in Benue, Kogi, Kwara, Niger, Adamawa, Taraba and Kebbi states.
The affected communities include Ilorin, Jebba, Bida, Minna, Mokwa, Yola, Numan, Jalingo, Wukari and Birnin Kebbi, among others.
The FCT is currently classified as moderate risk, alongside Nasarawa, Plateau, Bauchi, Borno, Gombe, Yobe, Zamfara, Sokoto, Katsina, Kano, Kaduna and Jigawa states.
Within the FCT, areas on the watchlist include Abuja Municipal, Garki, Wuse, Maitama, Asokoro, Gwarinpa, Kubwa, Kuje, Gwagwalada, Lugbe, Nyanya and Kwali, among other districts and communities.
The Centre urged communities in the critical-risk category to maintain an immediate flood watch, confirm evacuation routes and take steps to protect vulnerable households and essential assets.
Residents were specifically advised against settling, parking, trading or storing goods in active floodplains, wetlands, riverbanks and low-lying drainage corridors.
State emergency management agencies, environmental officers and community flood focal persons were also directed to intensify surveillance around rivers, streams, culverts, bridges, drainage channels, reservoirs, estuaries and erosion-prone areas.
Communities classified as high risk were advised to intensify drainage clearance, monitor culverts and waterways, and report changes in rainfall patterns, ponding, dam releases and river levels.
Those on the moderate-risk watchlist were also urged to maintain preventive measures, as prolonged or consecutive rainfall could rapidly worsen local flood conditions.
The Federal Government further advised residents to comply with evacuation orders, keep children away from floodwater and avoid driving or walking through flowing water.
Residents were also advised to disconnect electricity where flooding is imminent and secure essential items, including medicines, important documents, food and potable water.
The Centre said the forecast would be continuously updated based on feedback from state governments, relevant stakeholders and community focal persons, stressing that the prediction should be interpreted alongside local observations, drainage conditions, river levels and official emergency directives.
