At the unveiling of the report, the Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency (NIHSA), the agency mandated to sensitise Nigerians on preventive measures to reduce the impact of floods every year, listed the states at a high risk of being flooded in 2021.
According to the NIHSA, communities in 121 local government areas across 27 states and the Federal Capital Territory are at a high risk of being flooded.
The agency also warned that the flooding may be worse than what was experienced in previous years.
Stephen Margima, the director of hydro-geophysics at the NIHSA, listed the states:
1. Abia
2. Akwa Ibom
3. Anambra
4. Bauchi
5. Bayelsa
6. Benue
7. Cross River
8. Delta
9. Ebonyi
10. Edo
11. Gombe
12. Imo
13. Jigawa
14. Kaduna
15. Kano
16. Kebbi
17. Kogi
18. Kwara
19. Lagos
20. Nasarawa
21. Niger
22. Ogun
23. Oyo
24. Rivers
25. Sokoto
26. Taraba
27. Zamfara
In 2020, Kebbi state experienced a devastating flood which led to the death of several residents. In his reaction to the sad incident, President Muhammadu Buhari regretted that the timing of the disaster came when efforts were ongoing to boost local rice production.
The president went on to express concern over the flood that destroyed farm produce, submerged thousands of farmlands and houses, and personal belongings in the affected communities.