The Director-General of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Zubaida Umar, has advised residents living in flood-prone communities across the country to move to safer locations as rainfall becomes heavier.
She warned that ignoring flood alerts and other early warnings could lead to preventable deaths and extensive damage to homes and property.
The appeal comes as concerns grow over the country’s flood forecast, with the Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency (NIHSA) and the Federal Ministry of Environment recently identifying several states and hundreds of communities that could be affected during the peak of the rainy season.
In a statement issued on Saturday by the agency’s Press Unit, Umar urged communities at risk to immediately implement flood preparedness measures and comply with warnings issued by relevant government authorities.
“The current period of heightened rainfall calls for the activation of community-level flood mitigation measures to minimise the impact of flooding,” she said.
She advised residents in vulnerable areas to closely monitor weather reports and flood forecasts and relocate to higher ground whenever there is a threat of flooding.
Umar also cautioned Nigerians against engaging in activities that could increase the impact of floods.
According to the statement, she urged people not to drive or walk through flooded areas and warned against dumping refuse into drainage channels, noting that blocked drains often contribute to severe flooding in many parts of the country.
She further encouraged members of the public to promptly report emergency situations to the appropriate authorities to enable swift rescue and emergency response.
“Preparedness and early evacuation remain the most effective ways of preventing avoidable loss of lives and reducing the impact of floods during the peak of the rainy season,” Umar said.
The NEMA Director-General disclosed that the agency has instructed its Zonal Directors and Heads of Operations Offices nationwide to step up public awareness campaigns on flood preparedness.
She said the officials have also been directed to strengthen collaboration with State Emergency Management Agencies, Local Emergency Management Committees, traditional rulers and other stakeholders, while ensuring timely coordination of search and rescue operations when necessary.
Umar reaffirmed NEMA’s commitment to monitoring the flood situation across the country, adding that the agency would continue working with relevant institutions to provide prompt emergency response and humanitarian support to affected communities.
Her warning follows a recent flood outlook issued by the Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency, which identified 14 states—Adamawa, Akwa Ibom, Anambra, Bauchi, Benue, Borno, Cross River, Edo, Enugu, Imo, Kaduna, Lagos, Niger and Plateau—as facing a medium risk of flooding between July 14 and July 20.
Earlier, the Federal Ministry of Environment also issued a flood alert covering 26 states and the Federal Capital Territory, warning that sustained rainfall could trigger flooding in hundreds of communities. The ministry advised residents in vulnerable areas to remain vigilant, monitor official weather updates and relocate whenever necessary.
Nigeria experiences severe flooding almost every rainy season, with thousands of homes destroyed, farmlands washed away and lives lost. In recent years, floods have displaced hundreds of thousands of people, disrupted livelihoods and economic activities, and placed significant pressure on emergency response agencies, leading to repeated calls for residents in high-risk areas to take preventive action before flooding occurs.
