The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has released a comprehensive update on the current flooding situation in Nigeria, revealing a significant impact on 29 states and 172 local government areas.
According to the report, 1,048,312 people have been affected, 625,239 displaced, and 259 lives lost nationwide.
NEMA Director General, Zubaida Umar, presented the statistics at the National Emergency Coordination Forum (ECF) meeting, where strategies and responsibilities were reassigned to address the current realities of disaster management in Nigeria.
The meeting also focused on the ongoing Search and Rescue operation in Borno State, where a broken spillway at the Alau Dam has worsened the flooding situation.
While the severity of the incident in Borno State is notable, the overall trend does not deviate significantly from the predictions made in the Annual Flood Outlook released by the Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency (NIHSA) for 2024.
The outlook had identified 33 states and 135 LGAs as high-risk areas for flooding between July and September, and 19 states and 44 LGAs for October and November.
The NEMA DG commended the Governor of Borno State, Babagana Zulum, and the state government for their prompt response to the flooding in Maiduguri, including the activation of Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps.
NEMA and other agencies are providing nationwide interventions to support affected states.
NEMA’s ongoing efforts include the 
deployment of additional personnel for Search and Rescue operations, distribution of water purification and critical search and Rescue equipment, provision of food and non-food items to support affected persons, and rehabilitation of displaced populations
deployment of additional personnel for Search and Rescue operations, distribution of water purification and critical search and Rescue equipment, provision of food and non-food items to support affected persons, and rehabilitation of displaced populationsThrough NEMA, the Federal Government extends its condolences to those affected by the flood disaster and assures them of sustained support.
The agency appreciates the support of humanitarian partners and looks forward to continued collaborative efforts to alleviate the suffering of affected people and mitigate the impact of flooding incidents across the country.
