Nigeria has suffered a devastating flood crisis in 2025, with at least 165 lives lost and roughly 119,791 people affected across 19 states, according to the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA).
The floods, triggered by heavy seasonal rains and exacerbated by poor drainage and infrastructure failures, have destroyed homes, washed away roads and bridges, and submerged vast farmlands, cutting off communities from vital support.
In Niger State’s Mokwa town—the epicentre of the disaster—floodwaters surged on May 28 into May 29, killing more than 500 people, injuring over 200, and displacing more than 3,000 residents. Over 600 people remain missing, many presumed dead. Entire neighbourhoods like Tifin Maza and Anguwan Hausawa were wiped out, along with thousands of homes, while two bridges collapsed and multiple roads were washed away.
This single incident accounted for the bulk of the overall death toll and damage nationwide.
Authorities have launched search and rescue operations in collaboration with local emergency agencies, the Nigerian Red Cross, security forces, and humanitarian partners. As the towns fill with debris and stagnant water, teams are prioritising recovery of bodies to prevent an outbreak of waterborne diseases such as cholera and typhoid.
NEMA has increased surveillance and early warning systems across 31 of Nigeria’s 36 states, warning more than a thousand communities and 15 million residents to prepare for more flooding throughout the wet season, which spans from April to October.
Government officials are urging evacuations from high‑risk areas and mobilising relief distribution—including food, safe water, shelter, and medical care—especially for displaced families.
This 2025 flood season is emerging as one of the worst in recent memory. Authorities warn that without urgent improvements in infrastructure, environmental management, and early warning systems, the pattern of repeat flood disasters will continue to threaten millions of Nigerians.
