Floods in Nigeria claim 49 lives and displace thousands

At least 49 people have lost their lives, and thousands have been displaced due to severe flooding in northeast Nigeria following heavy rainfall, according to the National Emergency Management Authority (NEMA).

The floods have severely impacted the states of Jigawa, Adamawa, and Taraba, displacing over 41,000 people, NEMA spokesperson Manzo Ezekiel said on Monday, according to Reuters.

As Nigeria enters the peak of the rainy season, particularly in the northern regions, the situation has been described as dire.

The flooding has destroyed approximately 693 hectares of agricultural land, further exacerbating the country’s high food prices and double-digit inflation.

The farming sector, already under strain due to repeated militant attacks, faces additional challenges as heavy rains continue to devastate farmlands.

This recent disaster follows Nigeria’s worst flooding in over a decade, which occurred in 2022, claiming more than 600 lives, displacing around 1.4 million people, and destroying 440,000 hectares of farmland. This year, the government has warned that 31 out of Nigeria’s 36 states are at risk of high flooding.

NEMA has noted that rising water levels in the upper regions of the River Niger, outside Nigeria, are contributing to the flooding within the country. “We are beginning to see a manifestation of our predictions,” Ezekiel said, emphasizing the severity of the situation.

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In response to the ongoing threats, the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) issued an urgent warning on Monday about severe thunderstorms, strong winds, and heavy rainfall expected to affect parts of Kano, Katsina, Sokoto, Kebbi, Northern Kaduna, and Zamfara States within the next 2 to 4 hours.

Residents in these areas are urged to take necessary precautions and avoid flood-prone areas to mitigate the risk of flash flooding.

The public and airline operators are also advised to stay updated with weather reports and forecasts from NiMet to plan their activities and operations effectively.