The Federal Government has warned that 30 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) face imminent flood risks, similar to last Thursday’s devastating flood in Mokwa, Niger State, which claimed over 200 lives.
Floodwaters swept away numerous homes and displaced thousands of residents, while more than 500 people remain missing. The high-risk states include Abia, Adamawa, Akwa Ibom, Anambra, Bauchi, Bayelsa, Benue, Borno, Cross River, Delta, Ebonyi, and Edo.
Others are Gombe, Imo, Jigawa, Kebbi, Kogi, Kwara, Lagos, Nasarawa, Niger, Ogun, Ondo, Osun, Oyo, Rivers, Sokoto, Taraba, Yobe, Zamfara, and the FCT.
At a briefing in Abuja, Minister of Water Resources and Sanitation, Engr. Joseph Utsev, alerted the public to the growing flood threat. He clarified that heavy rainfall—not any release from the Kainji and Jebba dams—caused the Mokwa disaster, which climate change worsened.
Utsev blamed the high casualty figure on residents’ failure to heed flood warnings. He urged state governments to implement flood mitigation measures to protect lives and property.
“The Federal Ministry of Water Resources and Sanitation expresses deep sympathy and solidarity with the government and people of Niger State, especially those in Mokwa who have suffered deaths, displacements, and destruction from this natural disaster,” he said.
Utsev stressed that neither the Kainji nor Jebba dams contributed to the flooding and confirmed both structures remain intact and safe.
He commended the Niger State government, local authorities, and first responders for their swift relief efforts and support to victims.
“The flood in Mokwa occurred due to intense rainfall triggered by extreme weather conditions linked to climate change,” the minister said. “These downpours overwhelmed the local drainage system.”
He explained that unregulated construction blocked an ephemeral tributary of River Dingi—a normally dry river that only flows during rainfall—worsening the flooding. Without alternative routes to divert the water, floodwaters severely impacted the communities.
Utsev reminded Nigerians that the Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency (NIHSA), through the 2025 Annual Flood Outlook released on April 10, had already predicted flooding in 19 local government areas of Niger State, including Mokwa.
