The Federal Government has issued a fresh flood alert to nine northern states, heightening fears among residents as experts renew calls for Nigeria to adopt global best practices to build lasting resilience against recurring disasters.
In a circular signed by the Director of Erosion, Flood and Coastal Zone Management at the Federal Ministry of Environment, Usman Abdullahi Bokani, the National Flood Early Warning Centre (FEW) placed Bauchi, Gombe, Jigawa, Kano, and Katsina States on red alert following predictions of heavy rainfall and possible flooding between August 25 and 29.
Other states listed include Sokoto and Zamfara, with Makira and Anka towns specifically flagged.
Adamawa and Katsina recorded the highest number of towns under threat.
In Adamawa, Mubi, Shelleng, and Abba-Kumbo were named, while Kaita, Bindawa, and Katsina town made the Katsina list.
High-risk locations also include Gwaram in Jigawa, Nafada in Gombe, Ngala in Borno, Sumaila in Kano, and Azare and Jama’are in Bauchi.
The ministry further warned that with water levels rising in the River Niger, communities along the flood plains from Jebba to Lokoja should prepare for possible evacuation.
Already, flooding has displaced thousands of Nigerians this rainy season, destroying homes, farmlands, and properties worth millions of naira.
According to records, 55-year-old farmer Mallam Hassan Bello in Mubi Adamawa state, described his fears: “Every year when the rain comes, we don’t sleep well. My farm is close to the river and once the water rises, it washes everything away. How can we survive like this?”
Similarly, in Azare, Bauchi State, Mrs. Halima Musa, a mother of two, said her family has been forced to live in constant fear. “Last year, our house was flooded, and we stayed in the primary school hall for two weeks. Government brought some food, but what we want is a permanent solution, not temporary camps,” she said.
Environmental analyst and President of the Association of Environmental Protection and Climate Change Practitioners, Air Vice Marshal (Rtd) Akugbe Iyamu, said Nigeria’s growing flood vulnerability underscores the urgent need for long-term solutions.
He recalled that the country now ranks among the most flood-prone globally, alongside China, India, the United States, and Colombia.
He pointed to the $1.3 trillion flood defense system in Louisiana, United States, built after Hurricane Katrina, as a model Nigeria could learn from. “Two decades later, the ‘Great Walls of Louisiana’ are protecting millions of people while restoring wetlands and ecosystems,” he said.
Iyamu also cited restoration projects in Colombia and China, where degraded rivers and wetlands have been revived using local knowledge, community engagement, and nature-based solutions. “These examples prove that urban water restoration is possible and that vulnerable countries like Nigeria only need the right support to scale them up,” he explained.
The expert further stressed the need for Nigeria to integrate its military into disaster response, similar to India, where soldiers were deployed during recent Himalayan floods to rescue stranded residents. “Military involvement greatly reduced casualties in India, and Nigeria must adopt a similar approach rather than leaving response efforts solely to civilian agencies,” he advised.
He warned that Nigeria’s current approach, focusing mainly on distributing relief after disasters, comes at great cost. “Ill-conceived policies and unpreparedness mean that ordinary citizens bear the brunt of flood disasters every year,” Iyamu cautioned.
For residents like Abdullahi Yakubu in Lokoja, Kogi State, where the Niger and Benue rivers meet, the warning feels all too real. “Once the rivers overflow, our roads are cut off, our farms are gone, and our houses are in water. We are begging government to act before it is too late,” he said.
With multiple states under red alert and river levels rising dangerously, experts and community voices alike agree: Nigeria must urgently move from short-term relief to proactive investments in infrastructure, wetland restoration, and community-based resilience strategies if lives and livelihoods are to be saved.