Key points

• NiHSA’s National Flood Advisory covers Sept. 19 to 25 and names 15 states, including Imo, Cross River, Ebonyi, Anambra, Benue, Akwa Ibom, Lagos and Rivers.
• Ebonyi has the most exposed communities at 2,574, followed by Cross River with 2,471 and Anambra with 1,314.
• The agency urged state governments to relocate residents on floodplains to higher ground ahead of the forecast.

More than 8,000 communities and 4,500 schools across 15 Nigerian states face flooding between Sept. 19 and 25, according to the latest National Flood Advisory from the Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency.

The agency’s director-general, Umar Mohammed, issued the warning on Saturday. He said rising river levels are expected to trigger flooding in vulnerable communities, exposing schools, healthcare facilities, markets, religious buildings and farmland.

The affected states are Imo, Cross River, Delta, Ebonyi, Benue, Anambra, Akwa Ibom, Edo, Enugu, Bayelsa, Kogi, Abia, Taraba, Rivers and Lagos. Consequently, Mohammed urged state governments to relocate residents in flood-prone areas before the water arrives.

“High riverine flood risk is forecast for the next seven days across Imo, Cross River and 13 other states,” he said. Communities on floodplains, he added, should prepare to move to higher ground. The advisory specifically named the Obubra, Itigidi and Epento stations on the Cross River.

Southeast states carry the heaviest exposure

The numbers point to the southeast as the epicenter. In Ebonyi, the agency listed Abakaliki, Afikpo, Afikpo South, Ebonyi, Ezza North and Ezza South local government areas as vulnerable, with 2,574 communities, 1,064 schools, 422 healthcare facilities, 480 markets, 629 religious buildings and 1,882 hectares of farmland exposed.

Cross River follows closely. Across Abi, Akamkpa, Akpabuyo, Biase, Calabar, Calabar South, Ikom and Obubra, NiHSA counted 2,471 communities, 703 schools, 344 healthcare facilities, 145 markets, 453 religious buildings and 854 hectares of farmland at risk.

In Anambra, seven LGAs, including Aguata, Anambra East, Anambra West, Anaocha, Awka North, Awka South and Ayamelum, account for 1,314 communities, 1,308 schools and 1,089 healthcare facilities.

That healthcare figure is the highest of any state in the advisory. Similarly, 280 markets, 610 religious buildings and 1,529 hectares of farmland sit in the danger zone.

Imo, Benue and Akwa Ibom also on alert

Imo State faces exposure across Aboh-Mbaise, Ahiazu-Mbaise, Ehime Mbano, Ezinihitte, Ideato North, Ihitte/Uboma and Ikeduru. There, the agency identified 958 communities, 1,022 schools, 553 healthcare facilities, 161 markets and 198 religious buildings.

Meanwhile, Benue’s Buruku, Gboko, Guma, Katsina-Ala, Logo and Ukum LGAs hold 303 communities, 100 schools, 48 healthcare facilities, 32 markets, 151 religious buildings and 55 hectares of farmland at risk.

In Akwa Ibom, the affected areas include Abak, Eket, Etinan, Ibeno, Ibesikpo Asutan, Ibiono Ibom, Ika and Ikono, with 249 communities, 323 schools, 211 healthcare facilities, 74 markets and 289 religious buildings exposed.

The advisory did not publish a breakdown for the remaining nine states. Even so, the agency’s message applies across all 15: residents on floodplains should take precautions now and move to higher ground where necessary, rather than wait for the rivers to rise.