The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) in Nigeria reports that more than 300 people have lost their lives in flooding in the country. Further heavy rain and dam releases are likely to worsen the situation.
The UN reported a cholera outbreak in parts of north-east Nigeria attributed to the widespread contamination of water sources by flooding.
Floods in Jigawa State, Nigeria. Photo: Disaster Management Initiative
In an emergency technical meeting on the flood situation in Nigeria, the Director General of NEMA, Mustapha Ahmed, said flooding has affected 29 states including the Federal Capital Territory of Abuja since February this year.
The director said more than 300 people have died, 500 have ben injured and over 500,000 affected. More than 100,000 have been displaced and moved to temporary shelters including schools and other public buildings or with host families.
Severe Floods from June 2022
Severe flooding struck in the country in Yobe in July and in Jigawa state in August this year where at least 50 people died. In late August severe flooding in Adamawa State caused 10 fatalities.
In a period from June to September 2022, WorldsAid has recorded flood events in the states of Lagos, Anambra, Federal Capital Territory, Borno, Ebonyi, River State, Bauchi and Benue, as well the flooding in Jigawa, Adamawa and Yobe mentioned above.
Recent Floods in Taraba, Adamawa, Delta, Bauchi, Kano, Gombe, Benue and Jigawa
More heavy rain combined with dam releases has caused further flooding, affecting communities in at least 8 states since the start of September.
The release of water from Kiri and Lagdo dams has resulted in flooding in communities along the river banks of around 12 Local Government Areas (LGAs) in Taraba and Adamawa States. People are displaced and farmland and houses submerged, NEMA said.
Over the last few days NEMA reported flooding in Delta state, where flooding submerged farmlands and damage houses and property. Cassava, potato and other crops were all destroyed.
Authorities were carrying out damage assessments in Zaki and Gamawa Local Government Areas of Bauchi State, following flooding caused by the overflow of Challawa Gorge Dam in Karaye Local Government Area of Kano State. Flooding has also affected communities in Wudil and Warawa in Kano state.
Torrential rain in September caused flooding in Nafada Local Government Area of Gombe State lading to displacement of families, loss of livestock and damage to crops. NEMA said many families have been left homeless.
Flooding from early September affected communities in Benue State. Assessments were carried out on 19h September 2022 revealing 3,274 people were affected while about 1,213 houses were destroyed. Farmlands are also submerged while their sources of livelihood were also destroyed.
Further flooding has affected areas of Jigawa State during September. A total of 92 people have now lost their lives in flooding in Jigawa in the last 6 weeks. Property, livelihoods, and infrastructure have all been severely impacted.
The state’s Disaster Management Initiative (DMI) said that most of the victims were displaced from their various communities and rendered homeless, and that victims were in dire need of shelter and relief supplies, including food, blankets, mosquito nets and clothing.