The Director-General of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Zubaida Umar, has issued a strong warning to Nigerians living in flood-prone communities, urging them to immediately relocate to safer areas as torrential rains continue to intensify across the country.
She warned that ignoring official flood alerts could lead to avoidable deaths, destruction of homes and livelihoods, and a humanitarian crisis during the peak of the rainy season.
The warning comes as government agencies raise fresh concerns over Nigeria’s worsening flood outlook, with the Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency (NIHSA) and the Federal Ministry of Environment identifying dozens of states and hundreds of vulnerable communities at risk of flooding.
In a statement released on Saturday by NEMA’s Press Unit, Umar called on residents of flood-prone areas to activate emergency preparedness measures without delay and strictly comply with warnings issued by relevant authorities.
She stressed that the current intensity of rainfall requires immediate community action to minimise the devastating impact of floods.
Residents were advised to closely monitor weather forecasts, heed evacuation directives, and move to higher ground whenever flooding threatens their communities.
Umar also cautioned Nigerians against actions that worsen flooding, warning motorists and pedestrians never to drive or walk through floodwaters because of the dangers posed by strong currents and submerged hazards.
She further urged residents to stop dumping refuse into drainage channels, noting that blocked waterways remain one of the leading causes of severe urban flooding across the country.
The NEMA Director-General appealed to members of the public to promptly report emergency situations to the appropriate authorities to ensure swift rescue operations.
According to her, early preparedness and timely evacuation remain the most effective measures for preventing needless loss of lives and reducing the devastating impact of floods.
To strengthen disaster response, Umar disclosed that NEMA has directed all its Zonal Directors and Heads of Operations Offices nationwide to intensify public sensitisation campaigns on flood preparedness.
She added that the officials have also been mandated to deepen collaboration with State Emergency Management Agencies, Local Emergency Management Committees, traditional institutions and other stakeholders to coordinate rapid search-and-rescue operations whenever emergencies occur.
Reaffirming NEMA’s commitment to protecting lives and property, Umar said the agency would continue monitoring flood developments across the country while working with relevant institutions to deliver timely emergency response and humanitarian assistance to affected communities.
Her warning follows a recent advisory by the Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency, which listed Adamawa, Akwa Ibom, Anambra, Bauchi, Benue, Borno, Cross River, Edo, Enugu, Imo, Kaduna, Lagos, Niger and Plateau as states facing a medium risk of flooding between July 14 and July 20.
The Federal Ministry of Environment had earlier issued a broader flood alert covering 26 states and the Federal Capital Territory, warning that persistent rainfall could trigger widespread flooding in hundreds of communities and urging residents in vulnerable locations to remain vigilant and relocate whenever necessary.
Nigeria has suffered increasingly devastating floods in recent years, with thousands of homes destroyed, vast farmlands submerged, businesses crippled and countless families displaced. The recurring disasters have continued to strain emergency response efforts, reinforcing calls for residents to take early warnings seriously rather than wait until floodwaters overwhelm their communities.