Several Nigerian states, including Kaduna, Nasarawa, Bauchi, and Jigawa, have stepped up efforts to mitigate the impact of flooding, which has claimed 232 lives and displaced 121,224 people nationwide, according to the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA).
Figures from NEMA’s flood dashboard as of September 20, 2025, show that 339,658 people were affected, 681 sustained injuries, and 115 remain missing. The floods also damaged 42,301 houses and destroyed 48,447 hectares of farmland.
Casualties by State
Niger State recorded the highest fatalities with 163 deaths, followed by Adamawa (59), Taraba (5), Yobe (2), and Borno, Gombe, and Jigawa (1 each).
In Lagos, 57,951 people were affected, with 3,680 displaced and 3,244 houses damaged. Adamawa recorded 57,890 affected, 23,077 displaced, 438 injured, 59 killed, and over 9,000 farmlands destroyed. In Akwa Ibom, 46,233 were affected, 40,140 displaced, with more than 17,000 homes and farms damaged.
Other hard-hit states include Imo (29,242 affected, 15,607 displaced, 81 injured), Taraba (26,722 affected, 3,080 displaced, 88 injured, 5 dead), Rivers (22,345 affected, 9,645 displaced), Delta (14,057 affected, 3,325 displaced), and Abia (11,907 affected, 4,896 displaced, 21 injured).
Borno reported 8,164 affected and 1 death; Kaduna, 7,334 affected and 662 displaced; Niger, 6,041 affected, 1,860 displaced, 11 injured, 163 deaths; Yobe, 4,256 affected, 2 dead; Sokoto, 4,278 affected, 1,287 displaced; and Gombe, 4,098 affected, 865 displaced, 12 injured, 1 death. Ondo, Jigawa, Kogi, Kwara, Anambra, Nasarawa, Kano, and the FCT also reported varying levels of impact.
Response Challenges
NEMA identified resource shortages (68%) as the biggest challenge in relief efforts, followed by inaccessibility of flooded communities (17%), community resistance (7%), and security risks (6%). The agency stressed urgent needs for food, shelter, health services, water, and livelihood support.
State-Level Updates
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Gombe: 986 households displaced, 15 deaths recorded. A canoe accident in Funakaye claimed five lives.
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Sokoto: Floods ravaged 61 communities in Rabah LGA, destroying 2,200 houses and displacing over 5,300 households.
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Kano: Heavy rains and windstorms destroyed many houses; SEMA said assessments are ongoing.
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Bauchi: State government spent about ₦500m on interventions to help victims rebuild.
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Kaduna: Torrential rainfall displaced 970 residents, destroyed 270 homes. The state closed the Bashama flood camp after accommodating 42 households. Governor Uba Sani pledged continued investment in disaster preparedness.
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Nasarawa: SEMA intensified sensitisation campaigns, urging residents in flood-prone areas to relocate. Temporary shelters were prepared across the state.
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Jigawa: Officials said proactive investments of ₦4.2bn in dredging and embankments helped curb major displacements.
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Niger: SEMA continued to warn residents in flood-prone areas to relocate and avoid blocking drainage channels.
Mixed Impact Across States
While many states struggle with heavy losses, Zamfara reported no major flooding despite recent downpours. Officials attribute this to geographical and seasonal factors.
The scale of devastation has renewed calls for stronger flood control measures, long-term disaster preparedness, and urgent humanitarian interventions to protect vulnerable communities.
ADEOLA KUNLE
