Flood alert: Minister urges states to relocate vulnerable communities

Minister of Water Resources and Sanitation, Prof. Joseph Terlumun Utsev, has urged states predicted to be at risk of flooding to take preventive action by relocating vulnerable communities.

While commiserating with the Niger State government and the people of Mokwa, who recently lost lives due to flooding, he advised other states to learn from the avoidable experience in Mokwa.

Prof. Utsev stated, “We had urged and are still urging states and local governments to act on these early warnings by relocating vulnerable communities from flood plains.”

He emphasised the need for affected states and local government areas to strengthen drainage infrastructure, conduct sustained public awareness campaigns, and educate residents in flood-prone areas.

The minister also stressed the importance of enforcing land-use regulations to prevent encroachment into flood-prone zones.

Speaking at a press conference in Abuja, Utsev explained that the Mokwa flood was primarily caused by heavy rainfall but worsened by unregulated buildings and construction activities that blocked an ephemeral tributary of River Dingi, a regressive river that connects to the River Niger.

He noted that River Dingi remains dry for most of the year, with flows dependent solely on surface runoff from rainfall. The absence of efficient alternative pathways to redirect excess water further exacerbated the flood’s impact on the communities.

Expressing concern over widespread flood risks, the minister highlighted that the 2025 Annual Flood Outlook forecast indicates 1,249 communities in 176 Local Government Areas across 33 states and the FCT are within high flood-risk zones, while 2,187 communities in 293 LGAs across 31 states, including the Federal Capital Territory, fall within moderate flood-risk areas.

The minister listed the high flood-risk states as Abia, Adamawa, Akwa Ibom, Anambra, Bauchi, Bayelsa, Benue, Borno, Cross River, Delta, Ebonyi, Edo, the Federal Capital Territory, Gombe, and Imo.

He also included Jigawa, Kebbi, Kogi, Kwara, Lagos, Nasarawa, Niger—already experiencing a national disaster—alongside Ogun, Ondo, Osun, Oyo, Rivers, Sokoto, Taraba, Yobe, and Zamfara as states with vulnerable communities.

Prof. Utsev urged relevant authorities in these states to intensify sensitisation efforts and take immediate action to mitigate flood risks.

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