The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has intensified warnings over the looming 2026 flood season, urging state governments to immediately activate preventive measures as fresh forecasts indicate that more than 30 states could experience severe flooding in the coming months.
The warning comes amid growing concerns over Nigeria’s worsening climate-related disasters and recurring flood emergencies that have devastated several communities in recent years.
In a statement issued after a courtesy visit to Adamawa State Governor Ahmadu Fintiri in Yola, NEMA Director-General, Zubaida Umar, said states must move beyond emergency response and embrace proactive mitigation strategies ahead of peak rainfall periods.
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According to the agency, state governments are expected to revive and enforce monthly environmental sanitation exercises, clear blocked drainages and waterways, strengthen State Emergency Management Agencies, and ensure Local Emergency Management Committees are fully operational at the grassroots level.
Umar said the agency had already developed a “2026 Climate-Related Risk Management, Preparedness and Mitigation Framework” to guide coordinated responses nationwide.
She added that NEMA’s Flood Early Warning System had identified vulnerable communities and produced flood-risk maps to support disaster planning by federal, state and local authorities.
The latest warning aligns with projections earlier released by the Federal Ministry of Water Resources and Sanitation and the Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency, which identified 33 states and the Federal Capital Territory as high-risk flood zones for 2026.
Government data shows that about 14,118 communities spread across 266 local government areas fall within high flood-risk areas, while more than 15,000 others face moderate flooding threats.
Major urban centres including Lagos, Abuja, Ibadan and Port Harcourt are also expected to witness flash floods driven by intense rainfall, rapid urbanisation and poor drainage infrastructure.
During the awareness campaign launch in Adamawa, Umar called on traditional rulers, religious organisations, youth groups, women associations, the media and private organisations to help amplify early warning messages and educate vulnerable communities on flood preparedness.
She stressed that climate change, unregulated urban development and indiscriminate blockage of waterways continue to worsen flood disasters across Nigeria.
Responding, Governor Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri commended NEMA for what he described as a proactive approach to disaster preparedness, especially its nationwide sensitisation campaign ahead of the rainy season.
Fintiri assured the agency that Adamawa State would implement the recommendations provided to reduce the impact of flooding, noting that many communities in the state experience yearly destruction from heavy rainfall and overflowing waterways.
Adamawa remains one of Nigeria’s most vulnerable flood-prone states due to its river systems and history of seasonal displacement. Parts of Yola and surrounding communities witnessed destructive flooding episodes last year that displaced residents and damaged homes and businesses.
Nigeria has continued to grapple with devastating floods almost every rainy season. The country’s worst flood disaster in more than a decade occurred in 2022 when more than 600 people were killed and about 1.4 million displaced nationwide after heavy rainfall and overflowing rivers submerged several states.
With meteorological agencies already predicting heavy rainfall patterns for 2026, emergency officials say the coming weeks will be critical for states to improve drainage systems, relocate vulnerable residents and intensify public awareness campaigns before peak flooding begins between July and September.
