The Federal Government has pledged to protect lives, livelihoods, and infrastructure nationwide by issuing timely, accurate, and actionable flood alerts and advisories.

The Director of Erosion, Flood and Coastal Zone Management at the Federal Ministry of Environment, Usman Bokani, stated this yesterday in his 2025 flood watch awareness and preparedness message.

Last week, the government revealed that approximately 1,249 communities across 176 Local Government Areas in 30 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) are expected to experience significant flooding between April and November this year.

The Minister of Water Resources and Sanitation, Prof. Joseph Utsev, made this announcement during the official presentation of the 2025 Annual Flood Outlook by the Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency in Abuja.

According to Utsev, high flood-risk states include: Abia, Adamawa, Akwa Ibom, Anambra, Bauchi, Bayelsa, Benue, Borno, Cross River, Delta, Ebonyi, Edo, Gombe, Imo, and Jigawa.

Others include: Kebbi, Kogi, Kwara, Lagos, Nasarawa, Niger, Ogun, Ondo, Osun, Oyo, Rivers, Sokoto, Taraba, Yobe, Zamfara, and the FCT.

The minister emphasised that flooding remains one of Nigeria’s most devastating natural disasters, warning that climate change continues to increase both the frequency and severity of flood events.

He added that coastal and riverine states, such as Bayelsa, Cross River, Delta, Lagos, Ogun, Rivers, and Ondo—are likely to experience flooding due to rising sea levels and tidal surges, with expected impacts on fishing activities, wildlife habitats, and river transport systems.