Flood warning: Ogun, Oyo, Lagos, Osun, Ekiti, Ondo among 20 states at risk

• The FG reports 919 locations for possible flooding between September 10 and 23

• 425 places placed under high-risk surveillance

Daud Olatunji

The Federal Government has issued a fresh flood warning, placing 919 locations in 20 states, including Ogun, Oyo, Lagos, Osun, Ekiti and Ondo, in the critical risk category for possible flooding between September 10 and 23, 2026.

The warning, issued by the National Flood Early Warning Center (FEWSC) of the Federal Ministry of the Environment, urged residents, state authorities and emergency agencies in the affected areas to step up preparations and monitoring.

The Center has also classified 425 locations in seven states as high risk, while another 656 locations in 13 states and the federal capital territory have been placed under moderate risk watch.

The latest advisory covers communities and localities in Benue, Kogi, Niger, Rivers, Edo, Delta, Cross River, Bayelsa, Akwa Ibom, Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu, Imo, Ekiti, Lagos, Ogun, Ondo, Osun and Oyo states.

The inclusion of six southwestern states in the critical risk category puts communities across the region on alert, particularly in areas prone to flooding due to poor drainage, proximity to rivers and other waterways, low-lying land or heavy rainfall.

According to the FEWSC, the combination of rainfall, saturated soil, rapid surface runoff, drainage overload and rising river levels could result in flooding in vulnerable locations during the forecast period.

The Center urged residents in the identified critical risk areas to immediately remain alert to floods and take precautionary measures to protect lives and property.

He advised residents to identify evacuation routes, locate vulnerable families and secure essential belongings before flooding occurs.

The government also warned residents against settling, parking vehicles, trading or storing goods in active floodplains, wetlands, riverbanks and low-lying drainage corridors, noting that flash flooding could occur in such areas.

State emergency management agencies, environmental officials and people responsible for flooding in the community have been directed to strengthen surveillance around rivers, streams, culverts, bridges, drainage ditches, reservoirs, estuaries and areas prone to erosion.

For high-risk locations, the Center recommended immediate drainage cleaning and closer monitoring of culverts and waterways.

It also called for timely reporting of heavy rains, water accumulations, dam failures and unusual changes in river levels to the relevant authorities.

Residents were also advised to comply with evacuation directives, keep children away from flood waters and avoid walking or driving through moving water.

When floods become imminent, the Center has advised families to disconnect electricity and secure essential goods, including medicines, vital documents, food and drinking water.

The notice, signed by Erosion, Flood and Coastal Management Department director Usman Abdullahi Bokani, stresses that forecasts should be considered alongside real-time conditions in affected communities.

The Center said local rainfall, drainage conditions, river levels and other field observations, along with information provided by state authorities and community flood responders, will be used to continuously update the national flood database.

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