By David Arome
For over a decade, Niger State has experienced pockets of flooding, but none as devastating as the recent disaster that struck Mokwa on May 28. The flood claims over 161 lives, ravages infrastructures and renders many homeless.
Each time it rains, the flooding memories stir up afresh in the minds of the survivors. “I lost three of my children and wife to flooding,” Abdullahi Abubakar, a survivor of the Mokwa flooding, recounts his ordeal. The sad experience has thrown him off balance of starting overall with nothing to fall back on.
“Though the government is still helping, but many are stranded with no place to sleep, we need more help,” Abubakar exclaim in tears. Despite the emergency shelters, many of the survivors find refuge with relatives, friends and even sleep outside in the open space at the flood site.
Abubakar, little kiosk where he uses for charging of phones and sell of phones accessories was washed away by the flood. His mainstay of income is no more. This left him to be leaving from hand to mouth without a family, livelihood and roof over his head.
The flooding is attributed to climate-induced heavy rainfall, the collapse of a railway embankment, the blockage of waterways and systematic planning failure.
Flooding in Nigeria is triggered by a mix of natural and human factors. Heavy and prolonged rainfall, especially during the rainy season, often overwhelms the country’s poor drainage systems and unplanned urban layouts. Deforestation, blocked waterways from indiscriminate waste dumping, and the rapid expansion of settlements into flood-prone areas make the situation worse. In rural areas, the absence of flood control infrastructure and the impact of climate change—such as rising sea levels and more intense storms—further increase the risk. These combined issues turn what should be seasonal rains into destructive floods affecting lives, homes, and livelihoods.
As climate change deepens, Nigeria continues to face a flooding crisis. The Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) 2025 report as contained in the seasonal climate prediction (SCP) reveals above-normal rainfall, delayed rainfall and heightened risk of flash floods in vulnerable states, including Niger State. The SCP is an early warning signal that prepares the state ahead of a foreseen weather events and climate report.
Though the 2025 onset of rain is predicted to be delayed, it is anticipated between April and May over the northern and central states of Plateau, as well as parts of Kaduna, Niger, Benue and Nasarawa.
A decade-long analysis of flooding in Niger State from 2015 to 2025 reveals a recurring pattern of devastation. While the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) often presented generalised national data, specific state-level records were missing in some years. However, NEMA’s 2025 situational report provides clear, alarming details of the recent flooding in Mokwa, underscoring the scale of the disaster. According to the NEMA report as of June 28, 161 lives lost, over 3000 displaced, 500 houses affected and 100 missing.
Policy Implementation Gaps
The 2005 National Policy on Erosion, Flood Control, and Coastal Zone Management is the earliest policy document developed by the Federal Ministry of Environment as a strategy for flood management. The overall goals of the policy are reducing vulnerability to erosion and flooding, preserving natural ecosystems, promoting sustainable land-use practices and strengthening institutional capacity for disaster risk reduction.
The National Adaptation Strategy and Plan of Action on Climate Change for Nigeria (NASPA-CNN) came into force in November 2011. This strategic framework identifies flooding as a climate-induced disaster. The NASPA-CNN is a vital document that addresses climate change adaptation across different sectors, including flood management. The flood-related priorities of the strategic plan cover the development of flood control infrastructure, climate-proof urban planning and zoning regulations, capacity building for flood forecasting institutions and promotion of insurance schemes for flood victims.
Despite the existence of these policies and strategies, implementation remains the major bottleneck. “Every policy should be backed by law to give it legal footing for implementation,” Zeenrent Zamani, team lead of the Murya Na Environmental Sustainability and Development Initiative, stressed.
A Call to Action
“There is a need to consistently review and align the existing policies to suit the present reality,” Dr Nwankwo Nnenna, climate expert at the Federal Ministry of Innovation, Science and Technology, noted. Floods in Nigeria are not just natural disasters—they are the result of choices we make every day.
Communities must take responsibility for cleaning up their environments and gutters, removing waste from them. Stir up awareness and educate people to streamline to new technology and innovation, such as the use of the NiMet mobile application for easy updates of weather reports and trends of climate events.
The government at all levels should prioritise comprehensive flood management as a matter of national urgency. Strengthen climate adaptation policies and disaster preparedness strategies through early warning systems and community education. Enforcing strict penalties against the indiscriminate dumping of waste that clogs waterways. Let’s act now, before the next rainfall becomes the next disaster.
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