Nigeria warns of widespread floods in 2026, flags risks in 33 states
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Nigeria faces a high risk of widespread flooding in 2026, with more than 14,000 communities exposed across 33 of the country's 36 states as well as the Federal Capital Territory of Abuja, the hydrological agency said on Thursday.
Unveiling its annual flood outlook, the Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency said flooding was expected to peak between July and September at the height of the rainy season, threatening cities, farmland and critical infrastructure.
The agency said 14,118 communities were classified as high risk, while another 15,597 were facing moderate risk. It said the figures were broadly in line with those of recent years.
Major cities including Abuja, Lagos and Port Harcourt could see severe urban flooding, while coastal states such as Bayelsa, Delta, Rivers and Lagos are vulnerable to river and tidal floods.
Nigeria is prone to flooding during the rainy season, which typically begins in April and ends in October.
In 2022, the country's worst floods in more than a decade killed over 600 people, displaced 1.4 million and destroyed 440,000 hectares of farmland.
Last year, more than 200 people died in one flooding incident alone.
