By Samuel Olusegun Precious
The Federal Government has alerted residents in Rivers, 23 other states and the Federal Capital Territory to possible flooding between September 27 and October 10, 2026, following forecasts of heavy rainfall and rising river levels.
The warning was contained in a flood prediction issued by the National Flood Early Warning Systems Centre, under the Erosion, Flood and Coastal Zone Management Department, and signed by its Director, Usman Abdullahi Bokani.
Parts of Port Harcourt and Obio/Akpor are already experiencing serious flooding and other environmental crises following downpour since Saturday, 26 September, 2026. Some schools, businesses and homes have been evacuated as people count their losses.
The advisory warned that several communities across the country, classified as critical, high and moderate flood-risk areas based on saturated soil, rapid surface runoff, drainage surcharge and rising river levels are at great risk.
States with communities listed in the critical-risk category include: Rivers, Benue, Kogi, Kwara, Niger, Adamawa, Bauchi, Taraba, Edo, Delta, Cross River, Bayelsa, Akwa Ibom, Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu, Imo, Ekiti, Lagos, Ogun, Ondo, Osun and Oyo.
The FCT, Nasarawa, Plateau, Bauchi, Taraba, Adamawa and Kebbi were among areas placed on the high-risk list. Major urban centres mentioned at high risk are: Makurdi, Lokoja, Minna, Port Harcourt, Benin City, Asaba, Calabar, Uyo, Aba, Onitsha, Enugu, Owerri, Ado-Ekiti, Lagos, Abeokuta, Akure, Osogbo and Ibadan.
Areas listed as high-risk in the FCT include Abuja Municipal, Asokoro, Bwari, Garki, Gwagwalada, Gwarinpa, Kubwa, Kuje, Kwali, Lugbe, Maitama, Nyanya and Wuse.The Centre urged residents in critical-risk communities to maintain immediate flood watch, identify evacuation routes, avoid floodplains and riverbanks, and protect vulnerable persons.
It also directed State Emergency Management Agencies and local environmental officers to intensify monitoring of rivers, drains, culverts and reservoirs, and advised residents to comply with evacuation orders, avoid walking or driving through floodwater, and disconnect electricity where flooding is imminent.
