2025 floods: 241 dead, 459,995 affected in 128 LGAs - NEMA

Speaking in Abuja on Tuesday at a technical meeting on the 2026 SCP with the Emergency Coordination Forum and the presentation of After Action Review (AAR), Mrs. Umar highlighted the importance of timely, coordinated, and evidence-based action in addressing climate-related risks.

She said, "The 2026 seasonal climate prediction released by NIMET provides us with a forward-looking perspective on expected rainfall patterns, temperature variations, and other climate indicators.

"These projections are not just merely scientific outputs, they're decision-making tools that must guide preparedness action across all sectors.

"In recent years, Nigeria has continued to experience increasing impact on climate variability, particularly flooding, which has affected livelihoods, infrastructure and national development efforts. These experiences have consistently highlighted gaps in coordination, preparedness and early action.

"The presentation of the AAR is therefore critical. It provides an opportunity to reflect on past responses, identify systemic gaps and ensure that our approach going forward is informed by practical experience and lessons learned. This meeting is designed to bridge the gap between climate information and action".

Presenting the AAR, the Assistant Director of Planning in the Department of Planning, Research and Forecasting, Dapo Akingbade highlighted the reasons for the decline in the number of those impacted by the 2025 flood compared to 2024.

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Highlighting the impact of the 2024 and 2025 flood, he said: "In 2024, 5,264,097 persons were affected in 35 States across 401 LGAs.

"1,243,638 persons were displaced, 1,237 lives were lost, 16,469 sustained injuries, 116,172 houses were destroyed, and 1,439,296 cultivated farmlands were affected."

For 2025, Akingbade said: "In 2025, 459,995 persons were affected in 27 States across 128 local government areas.

"158,588 people were displaced, 241 died, 839 sustained injuries, 54,684 houses were affected, 96,649 farmlands were affected, 88,020 men were affected, 141,777 women were affected, 208,873 children were affected, 21,325 elderly people were affected, 2,559 disabled persons were affected, and 115 were missing".

The agency attributed the reduction of climate-related disaster impact in Nigeria to NiMet's early dissemination of forecasts, NEMA's cascading of early warning messages in three major languages to various states through the National Preparedness and Response Campaign Programme, and improved inter-agency coordination.

He added that simulation exercises were also conducted to improve coordination during response, adding that search and rescue operations were also carried out in affected areas.

He, however, noted that flood incidents recorded in cities such as Lagos and Abuja show the increasing role of urban drainage limitations, land use changes, and rapid urbanisation.

The Representative of the Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency (NIHSA), Engr. John Gbadegesin disclosed that the Agency would release the 2026 Annual Flood Outlook.

He noted that trillions of naira that could have been lost are saved annually due to the timely release of the outlook.