By Engineer Abdullahi Usman
In recent years, climate change has increased the cases of flooding in the northern part of Nigeria. In just two years, hundreds of lives and thousands of structures worth billions of naira were lost as results of floods in a few states. Some of the most notable floods within two years include Maiduguri flood in Borno on 10th September 2024, where 70% of the city was summerged due the rapture of Alau dam. During this flood, more than 150000 were displaced, hundreds of people were dead, and structures including houses, businesses, and other buildings were destroyed according to the report.
Between September and November 2024, there were a massive inundations of reports of flood in Kogi state, where over 200 communities within 21 local government areas of the state were submerged in water and close to two million people were displaced and turned refugees talk less of the number of deaths reported. Kogi, Lokoja, Adavi, Ofu, Ajaokuta, Idah, and Ibaji were some of the most affected Local Government Areas. The flood was caused by the combined effects of heavy rainfall, water released from Lagdo Dam in Cameroon, and the natural geography of Kogi State, which is situated at the confluence of the Niger and Benue Rivers.
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On 9th August 2024, around Katagum local area of Bauchi state, Kano-Maiduguri highway, which is the main road linking North-western states with North-eastern states, was cut off by a flood. This was one of the catastrophic floods that left many motorists and pedestrians stranded for weeks. Although, a heavy rainfall was the main cause of the flood that led to a washout of the highway and many parts in Bauchi State, the severe downpour, combined with factors like poor drainage and urban planning increased the risk of flood in the affected areas.
According to the report released by Kaduna State Emergency Management Agency (KADSEMA), no fewer than 200 houses have been destroyed by floods in Sabon-Gari and Zaria LGAs on 26th August 2024. The Executive Secretary of the agency lamented that the flash floods were caused by torrential rainfall in the state. He added that the persistent rainfall has risen the water levels and severe overflow of nearby rivers, which eventually caused the incidents in the respective LGAs.
Jigawa state also experienced a devastating flood caused by heavy downpour on 24th August 2024, which impacted 14 local government areas of the state. During this flood, a significant loss of lives and properties were recorded. Approximately 33 people lost their lives due to building collapses, and around 7,000 houses were destroyed. The flood also affected more than 6,000 farmlands and over 135 villages and neighborhoods.
National Emergency Management Agency of Nigeria (NEMA) reported that, on the mid night of August 20, 2024, a severe flood hit several communities in the Numan LGA of Adamawa state following the overflow of the Kiri dam. The flood has affected 1,113 people and displaced over 206 households. Significant damages include the destruction of 198 buildings and hectares of farmland. Despite efforts, challenges persist in accessing some of the affected areas.
Moreover, floods of different severities were identified from frontline states at risk of flooding in the year 2024. These states include Anambra, Bayelsa, Benue, Cross River, Delta, Edo, Kwara, Nasarawa, Rivers, and Taraba.
Furthermore, the beginning of the rainy season in this year (2025) was one of the heinous beginnings in the history of Nigeria because, a market town of Mokwa city was submerged on 28th May, 2025 as a result of a downpour in Niger state. A lot of casualties, including a loss of nearly one thousand people, displacement of millions of people, and damage of thousands of houses, roads, businesses, and other properties were recorded. In fact, the flood was said to be worst in the area for 60 years, swept through the Mokwa districts of Tiffin Maza and Anguwan Hausawa, etc. Mokwa residents also believe the flooding might have been caused by the overflow of one or more of the three dams of Niger state, as it has three major dams – Kainji, Jebba and Shiroro – while a fourth is under construction.
Nevertheless, as the rainy season continues, different reports of the cases of flooding are still being received from different parts of the country. Perhaps the casualties recorded were less significant, and that’s why they are less pronounced. One of the most recent cases includes a flood in Kano state metropolitan areas, which submerged houses, market places, and schools and made a lot of damage.
Experts said the frequency and severity of floods in Nigeria will be increased due to climate change, unregulated construction in flood-prone areas, and poor drainage infrastructure. Another contributing human factor is poor waste disposal, which intensifies the natural causes.
Despite all the reported flood risks being identified, there has been a lack of political will to implement the solutions for them. In recent years, the amount of rain expected in a year could probably come in one or two months, and people do not prepare for that kind of barrage of downpour.
Many metropolitan areas in the country lack proper drainage systems, and existing ones are often clogged with waste, causing water to accumulate on the streets during the downpour. Additionally, rapid urbanisation without proper planning has led to the construction of buildings in flood-prone areas, reducing the land’s natural ability to absorb water. Deforestation for agriculture and development further reduces the land’s capacity to soak up rainfall, which further increases the flow of water over the lands.
Usman, a lecturer and climate change advocate, writes from Bauchi, Nigeria.
