Not less than 14,118 communities in 33 States and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) are at risk of severe flooding in 2026, the Federal Government disclosed on Wednesday.
Joseph Utsev, Minister of Water Resources and Sanitation, announced the concerned States in Abuja at the public presentation of the 2026 Annual Flood Outlook (AFO) by the Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency (NIHSA).
Utsev said the high-risk communities were spread across 266 LGAs, based on scientific forecasts and hydrological assessments.
He listed the affected States as Abia, Adamawa, Anambra, Bauchi, Bayelsa, Benue, Borno, Cross River, Delta, Ebonyi, Edo, Enugu, Gombe, Imo, Jigawa, Kaduna and Kano.
Others are Kebbi, Kogi, Kwara, Lagos, Nasarawa, Niger, Ogun, Ondo, Osun, Oyo, Plateau, Rivers, Sokoto, Taraba, Yobe and Zamfara, as well as the FCT.
Said the Minister: “States in this category include Adamawa, Anambra, Bauchi, Bayelsa, Benue, Borno, Cross River, Delta, Ebonyi, Edo, Jigawa, Kaduna, Kano, Kebbi, Kogi, Nasarawa, Niger, Ogun, Ondo, Osun, Oyo, Sokoto, Taraba and Zamfara”.
He added that 15,597 communities in 405 LGAs across 35 States fall under the moderate flood risk category, noting that Ekiti was the only State not affected.
He said 923 communities in 77 LGAs across 24 states were classified as low-risk areas.
Utsev warned of possible flash and urban flooding in major cities, including Abuja, Lagos, Port-Harcourt, Ibadan and Kano.
He said coastal and riverine flooding was expected in Bayelsa, Cross River, Delta, Lagos, Ogun, Rivers and Ondo States due to rising sea levels and tidal surges.
Said the Minister: “The AFO is not just a scientific report; it is a call to action. Early warning saves lives and reduces economic losses”.
Utsev attributed the increasing incidence of flooding to climate variability, rapid urbanisation, inadequate drainage infrastructure and poor land-use practices.
He said the Federal Government was strengthening hydrological monitoring through improved data systems, automated river gauges and advanced modelling techniques.
The Minister added that collaboration with the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) and the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) was being enhanced to improve forecast accuracy and early warning dissemination.
He urged State governments to integrate flood risk considerations into land-use planning, urban development and infrastructure design.
