The Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency (NIHSA) has issued a seven-day flood alert for 17 states, warning of a medium flood risk between July 21 and July 27 following rising water levels in major rivers across the country.
The warning was contained in the agency’s National Flood Advisory (Alert No. NFA-2026-200) issued on Tuesday by NIHSA Director-General, Umar Mohammed, according to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).
The agency said increasing water levels at key river monitoring stations have heightened the risk of localised flooding along river channels and floodplains, urging governments and residents in vulnerable communities to take precautionary measures.
The affected states are Adamawa, Bauchi, Benue, Borno, Edo, Gombe, Imo, Jigawa, Kaduna, Kano, Kebbi, Nasarawa, Niger, Plateau, Taraba, Yobe, and Zamfara.
According to Mohammed, water levels at monitoring stations including Saminara on the Karam River, Waya Dam Site on the Waya River, and Amber on the Amber River have exceeded watch and warning thresholds.
He added that 16 river gauging stations nationwide are currently recording elevated water levels, increasing the likelihood of flooding in nearby communities.
Bauchi State was identified as the most vulnerable, with 1,841 communities, 145 schools, 101 health facilities, and eight markets potentially at risk. Vulnerable communities and public facilities were also identified in Edo, Imo, Kaduna, Plateau, and Benue states.
NIHSA called on state governments, local authorities and emergency agencies to activate flood response plans immediately to minimise the impact of potential flooding.
The agency advised residents in flood-prone areas to relocate people, livestock and valuables to safer locations ahead of possible inundation.
It also urged the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), State Emergency Management Agencies (SEMAs), local governments and community leaders to pre-position food supplies, medical materials and water treatment equipment in vulnerable communities.
Residents were warned against walking, driving or riding through flooded roads and waterways, while authorities were encouraged to clear blocked drains, culverts and waterways to improve water flow.
Mohammed also advised the public to monitor NIHSA’s daily flood forecasts and updates throughout the advisory period.
The latest advisory comes as several parts of Nigeria continue to experience heavy rainfall during the 2026 rainy season, with flash floods disrupting transportation, damaging property and displacing residents in some communities.
Recent forecasts by the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) have also warned of widespread rainfall, thunderstorms and localised flooding across many states.
Authorities have repeatedly urged residents in flood-prone communities to heed early warning alerts and avoid floodwaters to reduce the risk of casualties.
The advisory follows recent efforts by the Federal Government to strengthen flood preparedness.
The National Economic Council (NEC) recently approved N83.2 billion under the Anticipatory Action Task Force (AATF) to improve Nigeria’s response to flooding and other climate-related emergencies.
In 2025, President Bola Tinubu also approved N16.7 billion for the reconstruction of the Mokwa Bridge in Niger State after it was destroyed by flooding, alongside N2 billion to rebuild homes affected by the disaster.
Urban planning and environmental experts have attributed the increasing frequency of floods to rapid urbanisation, blocked drainage systems and the destruction of wetlands. They have called for improved drainage maintenance, stricter development controls, wetland conservation and greater investment in resilient flood-control infrastructure to reduce the impact of recurring floods.
