The Federal Government has raised a massive nationwide alarm, warning that a devastating wave of floods is set to hit 1,402 communities across 28 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) between July 5 and July 18, 2026.
The emergency alert follows terrifying meteorological forecasts predicting torrential downpours across the country over the next two weeks.
According to the data released by the Federal Ministry of Environment through its National Flood Early Warning Systems (FEWS) Center, the situation is looking grim. The ministry has classified 987 locations across 21 states as “Critical Risk Areas,” while 415 communities in seven other states and the FCT are sitting on a “High Risk” time bomb.
Breaking down the impending disaster, the Director of Erosion, Flood and Coastal Zone Management Department at the ministry, Mr. Usman Bokani, revealed that the frightening forecast was gathered through intense community risk profiling, heavy rainfall projections, and hydrometeorological vulnerability indicators.
“We have carried out rigorous flood risk assessments, and the threat is very real,” Bokani warned.
The ministry explicitly named the states facing the absolute highest threat level as:Abia, Akwa Ibom, Anambra, Bayelsa, Benue, Cross River, Delta, Ebonyi, Edo, Ekiti, Enugu, Imo, Kogi, Kwara, Lagos, Niger, Ogun, Ondo, Osun, Oyo, and Rivers.
Major commercial hubs and heavily populated urban centres are expected to bear the brunt of the flash floods. Residents in mega-cities like Lagos, Port Harcourt, Benin City, Enugu, Aba, Calabar, Warri, Makurdi, Lokoja, Owerri, Umuahia, Asaba, Akure, Ibadan, and Abeokuta have been told to prepare for the worst.
Meanwhile, communities categorized under the High Risk bracket are scattered across Adamawa, the FCT, Kebbi, Kogi, Kwara, Niger, and Taraba states.
Mr. Bokani directed a strong warning to citizens residing in low-lying zones. He begged residents in the critical risk areas to remain on red alert, map out immediate evacuation routes, secure vulnerable family members like children and the elderly, and entirely vacate floodplains and riverbanks.
“This is not the time to trade, farm, or sleep on drainage corridors and riverbanks. Lives are at stake,” Bokani warned.
The Federal Government has challenged State Emergency Management Agencies (SEMAs), local government chairmen, environmental officers, and community leaders to wake up to their responsibilities. They have been ordered to aggressively clear blocked drainages, clear out clogged culverts, and set up 24/7 surveillance around major rivers and bridges to minimize the impact of the impending deluge.
The ministry further pleaded with state governments and community representatives on the ground to feed real-time updates back to the National FEWS Center database to help responders stay ahead of the waters.
