The Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency (NiHSA) has warned that flooding across parts of Nigeria could persist until September, with conditions expected to worsen in August unless preventive measures are implemented.
The agency’s Director-General, Umar Mohammed, disclosed this in an interview with Sunday Vanguard through Emmanuel Tuna, Head of NiHSA’s Geographic Information System and Remote Sensing Department.
According to Mohammed, the agency accurately forecast the current flooding months in advance and issued early warnings to relevant authorities.
“This is something we foresaw; we saw it coming,” he said. “As we speak, with the flooding happening, if nothing is done, this is just the start of the rainy season. Between July and September, the situation could become worse than what we are seeing now. We expect conditions to deteriorate, particularly in August.”
Mohammed also expressed concern about the impact of prolonged flooding on drinking water sources, revealing that NiHSA had collected baseline data on borehole water quality before the floods began.
He said the agency plans to conduct post-flood assessments to determine the extent of contamination and identify its sources.
“We were concerned about drinking water because we expected the flooding to last for a long period,” he said. “So we analysed the quality of the water before the floods and already have our reports. We wanted to establish the baseline because we know that during and after flooding, there are likely to be challenges with drinking water in affected states.
“This will enable us to determine what is polluting the water and identify the sources of contamination. We already have pre-flood records, and now that flooding is occurring, I am sure my DG is putting together a team to visit Lagos and conduct a post-flood assessment.”
The NiHSA chief identified Lagos State as one of Nigeria’s most flood-prone areas because of its vulnerability to urban, riverine and coastal flooding. He said blocked drainage channels, silted waterways, low-lying terrain and rising river levels had intensified the impact of recent rainfall.
Mohammed warned that flooding would likely occur intermittently over the coming months before conditions begin to improve.
“We expect flooding to continue on and off from July through September,” he said. “By October, the rains should begin to recede. Realistically, the earliest period we can expect to be relatively safe is around November.”
He also criticised state governments for failing to act on the agency’s Annual Flood Outlook and repeated early warnings.
“We have a serious challenge with cooperation from states. Most times, our warnings are disregarded and not taken seriously.”
Last week, heavy rainfall triggered widespread flooding across several parts of Nigeria, with Lagos among the worst-hit states. The floods submerged roads, homes and critical infrastructure, disrupted transportation, displaced residents and caused power outages in some communities after floodwaters inundated a power transmission substation.
