Floods renders 30,000 homeless in Nigeria

Flooding has displaced around 30,000 people across more than 35 communities in Nigeria’s southern Edo state, prompting authorities to establish temporary camps and call for urgent intervention from the state and federal governments.

The flooding has affected communities in the eastern and central parts of Edo, with local officials warning that the scale of the disaster has gone beyond what individual local government councils can handle.

Aremiyau Momoh, chairman of Etsako East, told reporters in Benin City, the state capital, that the situation had exceeded the capacity of local authorities.

John Akhigbe, chairman of Etsako Central, also appealed for immediate assistance from both the state and federal governments. Officials said temporary camps for displaced residents had been established at strategic locations across the affected council areas.

The flooding has also caused damage in neighbouring Rivers state, where around 700 houses and large areas of farmland have reportedly been affected by flash floods following heavy rains.

Martins Ejike, a coordinator with the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), said the flooding in parts of Rivers state had been continuing since August. Speaking in Port Harcourt, he advised residents of affected areas to move to higher ground and seek temporary shelter if the situation worsens.

Authorities in neighbouring Anambra state have issued a similar advisory, asking residents living in flood-prone areas to move immediately to designated Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) centres.

The state government has established 28 camps to accommodate people who may be displaced by flooding.

The latest incidents have raised concerns about the wider flood situation across Nigeria. The Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency has identified 12 states as areas at risk of flooding and urged residents and authorities to remain alert.

The agency said on Wednesday that water levels in central Kogi state had risen to 10.66 metres, approaching the level recorded in 2012, one of Nigeria’s most severe flood years. It called on residents to remain vigilant and take precautionary measures.

The 2012 floods affected large parts of Nigeria and resulted in 363 deaths and the displacement of more than 2.1 million people across 30 states, according to NEMA.

With heavy rains continuing in several regions, authorities are urging communities in vulnerable areas to follow evacuation advisories and move to safer locations before flooding becomes more severe.