Lagos, Nigeria: Intense rainfall over the past few weeks has led to severe flooding in parts of Nigeria, killing at least 179 people and displacing around 200,000, an emergency official reported on Thursday. The most significant flooding has occurred in the northern region of the country, with at least 107,600 hectares (265,885 acres) of farmland also affected, according to data from the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA).
While most fatalities have been in the north, NEMA spokesman Ezekiel Manzo warned that the central and southern regions could face worse impacts as the rains continue to intensify.
He did not specify the exact timing of the deaths and displacements. Manzo told AFP, “The flow of water from the northern regions moving downward means that the situation in the central and southern parts of the country will also worsen.”
Communities along the banks of the Niger and Benue rivers are at higher risk, according to Manzo. He also noted that some areas previously not known for flooding have experienced significant inundation. Historically, flooding in Nigeria, often driven by heavy rains and inadequate infrastructure, has led to widespread damage in Africa’s most populous country.
In 2012, flooding in Nigeria resulted in more than 360 deaths and displaced over 2.1 million people. In 2022, the worst floods in a decade caused over 500 deaths and displaced 1.4 million individuals.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu stated on Wednesday that authorities would issue warnings to help mitigate the impact of environmental disasters. Manzo added that emergency officials have developed plans to prevent a recurrence of such flooding.
“We can’t afford to waste any more time; we need to ensure people are not caught off guard,” he told AFP.
