Edo, Imo, Kaduna… NIHSA warns 17 states of flood risk over rising river levels
The Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency has issued a seven-day flood alert for 17 states due to rising river levels. Authorities are urging residents in vulnerable areas to relocate and activate emergency response plans.
Why it matters
Proactive flood warnings are critical for disaster mitigation and protecting lives and infrastructure in regions prone to seasonal flooding.
The Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency (NIHSA) has issued a seven-day flood advisory, warning of a medium flood risk in 17 states between July 21 and July 27.
In the national flood advisory issued on Tuesday, Umar Mohammed, director-general of NIHSA, said the alert followed rising water levels at key river monitoring stations, increasing the likelihood of localised flooding along river channels and floodplains.
The affected states are Adamawa, Bauchi, Benue, Borno, Edo, Gombe, Imo, Jigawa, Kaduna, Kano, Kebbi, Nasarawa, Niger, Plateau, Taraba, Yobe and Zamfara.
Mohammed said river levels at Saminara on the Karam River, Waya dam site on the Waya River, and Amber on the Amber River had exceeded watch and warning thresholds.
He added that 16 gauging stations across the country are recording elevated river stages, placing nearby communities at risk of localised flooding.
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in