Nigeria recorded a dramatic fall in flood fatalities in 2025 — and emergency managers say better forecasts and faster action made the difference.
The National Emergency Management Agency says proactive mitigation strategies cut flood-related deaths to 241 in 2025, down from over 1,000 in 2024.
Speaking in Abuja during an After-Action Review of climate disasters, NEMA’s planning official Dapo Akingboade revealed that the number of people affected by flooding plunged from over five million in 2024 to fewer than 500,000 in 2025, while displacement dropped from over one million to about 58,000 people.
He credited the major improvement to early warnings issued by the Nigerian Meteorological Agency, alongside translating alerts into major Nigerian languages and ramping up public awareness campaigns.
Flood impact also shrank geographically: 27 states and 128 LGAs were affected in 2025, compared with 35 states the year before.
Still, challenges remain. NEMA warned that poor drainage systems, refusal of residents to evacuate flood-prone areas, and difficult access to remote communities continue to threaten progress. The agency urged states to activate contingency plans and prioritise drainage management ahead of the 2026 rainy season.
NiMet, which achieved 74% rainfall prediction accuracy, says Nigeria is moving from a weak La Niña into an ENSO-neutral phase, suggesting near-normal rainfall in 2026. The agency is also upgrading automated forecasting tools and collaborating with the Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency to monitor flood and drought risks using global climate indices.
The review meeting brought together government agencies, security bodies and humanitarian partners to strengthen Nigeria’s flood preparedness going forward.
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