• FG flags 919 locations for possible flooding between September 10 and 23
• 425 locations placed on high-risk watch
Daud Olatunji
The Federal Government has raised a fresh flood alarm, placing 919 locations across 20 states, including Ogun, Oyo, Lagos, Osun, Ekiti and Ondo, in the critical-risk category for possible flooding between September 10 and 23, 2026.
The warning, issued by the National Flood Early Warning Systems Centre (FEWSC) of the Federal Ministry of Environment, urged residents, state authorities and emergency agencies in the affected areas to intensify preparations and monitoring.
The Centre also classified 425 locations across seven states as high-risk, while another 656 locations across 13 states and the Federal Capital Territory were placed on moderate-risk watch.
The latest alert covers communities and locations in Benue, Kogi, Niger, Rivers, Edo, Delta, Cross River, Bayelsa, Akwa Ibom, Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu, Imo, Ekiti, Lagos, Ogun, Ondo, Osun and Oyo states.
The inclusion of six South-West states in the critical-risk category puts communities across the region on heightened alert, particularly in areas prone to flooding because of poor drainage, proximity to rivers and other waterways, low-lying terrain or intense rainfall.
According to the FEWSC, the combination of rainfall, saturated soil, rapid surface runoff, drainage surcharge and rising river levels could trigger flooding in vulnerable locations during the forecast period.
The Centre urged residents in the identified critical-risk areas to remain on immediate flood watch and take precautionary steps to protect lives and property.
It advised residents to identify evacuation routes, locate vulnerable households and secure essential belongings before flooding occurs.
The government also warned residents against settling, parking vehicles, trading or storing goods on active floodplains, wetlands, riverbanks and low-lying drainage corridors, stressing that sudden inundation could occur in such areas.
State emergency management agencies, environmental officers and community flood focal persons were directed to strengthen surveillance around rivers, streams, culverts, bridges, drainage channels, reservoirs, estuaries and erosion-prone areas.
For high-risk locations, the Centre recommended immediate drainage clearance and closer monitoring of culverts and waterways.
It also called for the prompt reporting of heavy rainfall, water accumulation, dam releases and unusual changes in river levels to the relevant authorities.
Residents were further advised to comply with evacuation directives, keep children away from floodwater and avoid walking or driving through moving water.
Where flooding becomes imminent, the Centre advised households to disconnect electricity and secure essential items, including medicines, vital documents, food and potable water.
The advisory, signed by the Director of the Erosion, Flood and Coastal Zone Management Department, Usman Abdullahi Bokani, stressed that the forecast should be considered alongside real-time conditions in affected communities.
The Centre said local rainfall, drainage conditions, river levels and other field observations, together with information from state authorities and community flood focal persons, would be used to continuously update the national flood database.
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