By Abdullahi Lukman
The Federal Ministry of Environment has alerted residents of 26 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) to the possibility of flooding between June 22 and July 5, following forecasts of heavy rainfall across parts of the country.
The warning, issued through the National Flood Early Warning Centre on Monday under the ministry’s Erosion, Flood and Coastal Zone Management Department, identified hundreds of communities as either critical-risk or high-risk flood zones.
According to the ministry, states in the critical-risk category include Abia, Adamawa, Akwa Ibom, Anambra, Bayelsa, Benue, Cross River, Delta, Ebonyi, Edo, Ekiti, Enugu, Imo, Kogi, Kwara, Lagos, Niger, Ogun, Ondo, Osun, Oyo and Rivers.
Several major communities were highlighted as vulnerable to flooding, including Aba, Umuahia, Onitsha, Yenagoa, Makurdi, Calabar, Asaba, Benin City, Enugu, Owerri, Lokoja, Ilorin, Minna, Abeokuta, Akure, Ibadan and Port Harcourt.
In Lagos State, areas identified as flood-prone include Agege, Alimosho, Apapa, Badagry, Ikeja, Ikorodu, Lagos Island, Lekki and Surulere, while Bida, Minna, Mokwa, Suleja and Kontagora were listed among at-risk communities in Niger State.
The ministry also classified parts of the FCT, Kebbi, Nasarawa, Plateau and Taraba states as high-risk areas. Communities under this category include Abuja Municipal Area Council, Gwagwalada, Kubwa, Nyanya, Wuse, Birnin Kebbi, Keffi, Lafia, Jos and Jalingo.
As part of its advisory, the ministry urged residents and authorities in vulnerable areas to take proactive measures to reduce the impact of potential flooding.
Communities classified as critical-risk were advised to maintain constant flood monitoring, identify evacuation routes, safeguard vulnerable residents and avoid activities within floodplains, drainage corridors and riverbank areas.
For high-risk locations, the ministry recommended intensified drainage clearance, regular monitoring of culverts and waterways, and prompt reporting of changes in rainfall patterns, water levels and flooding incidents.
The warning comes amid increasing rainfall across the country, raising concerns over possible loss of lives, damage to property and displacement of residents in flood-prone communities if adequate preventive measures are not taken.
