As the rainy season sets in, Northern states of Kaduna, Kano and Katsina are taking preventive measures to mitigate flood disaster.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Nigerian Meteorological Agency and the Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency have raised the alarm of flooding in some states with Kaduna placed among states at high risk of flooding this year.
The Kaduna State Emergency Management Agency (KADSEMA) says it has activated measures to prevent flood disasters, including plans to evacuate residents from vulnerable communities across the state.
The Executive Secretary of KADSEMA, Usman Mazadu, said the government had activated emergency response structures and commenced statewide flood risk assessments and sensitisation campaigns in flood-prone communities.
Mazadu said residents along River Kaduna and other vulnerable locations were being advised to relocate to safer areas to reduce casualties and destruction.
He said the state had inaugurated the 2026 Flood Emergency Operations and Response Strategic Team and the Flood Tactical Response Team to coordinate evacuation, emergency response and relief operations.
According to him, the teams will oversee emergency planning, resource mobilisation and coordination with humanitarian and development partners before and during flood incidents.
Mazadu said safe-haven centres and temporary shelters were also being identified to accommodate possible displaced residents during the peak of the rainy season.
He added that KADSEMA, in collaboration with Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), local councils, humanitarian organisations and community leaders, had intensified awareness campaigns in high-risk communities.
The executive secretary identified Rafin Guza, Malali, Ramat Road, Sabon Tasha, Bashama and Nasarawa communities within Kaduna metropolis among areas already assessed.
He attributed recurring flooding in the state to blocked drainage channels, indiscriminate dumping of refuse in waterways, construction along water channels and river overflow.
A senior hydrologist with the Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency, Mr Yusuf Buto, warned that Kaduna remained within the high flood-risk category throughout the 2026 rainy season.
Buto said projections indicated that River Kaduna could record about 3,600 cubic metres per second peak water discharge during the season.
He disclosed that 2,892 communities across 21 Local Government Areas of the state were likely to be affected by flooding.
The hydrologist advised residents living along riverbanks and low-lying areas to relocate immediately to minimise losses.
The National Emergency Management Agency said it had intensified flood preparedness campaigns and simulation exercises across Kaduna State.
Suleiman Muhammad, Head of Operations, NEMA Kaduna Office, said the agency had developed evacuation plans and vulnerability maps for flood-prone communities.
Muhammad said relief materials had been pre-positioned, while emergency responders and residents were being trained on rescue operations and emergency response procedures.
He said the agency had also commenced grassroots sensitisation to ensure early warning messages reached residents at risk of flooding.
The Commissioner for Information, Ahmed Maiyaki, said the state government had dredged 11 kilometres of River Kaduna to reduce flooding in vulnerable communities.
Maiyaki added that drainage channels were also being desilted to minimise flood impact across the metropolis.
Meanwhile, the Kaduna State Government, through the Agro-Climatic Resilience in Semi-Arid Landscapes Project, had begun erosion control and drainage interventions in Rigasa, Kawo, Tudun Wada and Zaria to reduce flood impact.
The State Project Coordinator of ACReSAL, Hadiza Halid, said the intervention would improve water flow, protect infrastructure and reduce environmental risks in affected communities.
In Kano, the Kano State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), says it is engaging stakeholders to strengthen disaster risk management and mitigation through effective coordination, synergy and response, as part of proactive measures to mitigate possible flooding in the state.
The Executive Secretary of the agency, Alhaji Isyaku Abdullahi-Kubarachi, said the state government had cleared drainages across the 44 local governments, especially in the flood-prone communities to ensure free flow of water to prevent flooding.
“Illegal structures obstructing drainages are being identified for removal to minimise the risk of flooding.
“We carried out public sensitisation campaigns in radio,TV, market places, traditional institutions, places of worship, and communities to educate residents on proper waste disposal, and the dangers associated with blocking waterways,” he said.
He added that the agency was working closely with Local Emergency Management Committees, NGOs, CSOs, community leaders and other relevant stakeholders to identify vulnerable areas and strengthen early warning systems.
The executive secretary noted that the agency has prepared possible shelter for the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) ahead of any emergency.
He, therefore, called on the public to maintain safety at all times, and desist from any act capable of exposing them to disasters.
On his part, Dr Nura Abdullahi, Head of Operations, NEMA Northwest Zone, Kano, affirmed the agency’s unwavering support in advancing disaster preparedness, mitigation and response efforts.
He emphasised the need to strengthen collaboration with stakeholders to reduce community vulnerability to various hazards, noting that failing to take swift appropriate actions could often escalate emergency situations.
“We engaged critical stakeholders to enhance synergy, effective coordination and response during emergencies in the state, and public sensitisation on solid waste management” he said
The Executive Director, Friends of the Community Organisation (FOCO), an NGO, Mr Hassan Ibrahim-Gama, has identified several communities across the state as highly vulnerable to flooding and erosion.
He listed the communities to include: Bulbula and Gayawa in Ungogo Local Government, Tsamiya Babba in Gezawa, Medile in Kumbotso, as well as Wuro Bagga, Haye and Sauna communities in Nassarawa Local Government Area.
Ibrahim-Gama attributed the recurring flooding and erosion in those areas to lack of standard drainage, poor town planning, inadequate waste disposal facilities and poor public awareness on environmental sanitation.
He, however, acknowledged efforts by the state government in addressing the problem through the reconstruction and expansion of drainages in some parts of the state, including around the Babangwari roundabout and from Rimin Kebe to Gayawa.
According to him, FOCO has been supporting flood prevention efforts through community sensitisation and awareness campaigns on environmental sanitation, household hygiene and proper waste disposal management.
He added that flooding and erosion disrupt children’s education, contaminate water sources, trigger disease outbreaks and destroy houses in the affected communities.
The executive director stressed the need for regular clearance of drainages and waterways, establishment of community self-help groups and effective implementation of policies on Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH), climate change and environmental protection.
He also urged the government to provide more refuse disposal facilities and collection centres to enhance environmental sanitation and discourage indiscriminate dumping of waste in drainages across the state.
“Climate change and inadequate drainages continue to increase the disaster and expose many communities to risks especially during the rainy season,” he warned.
Ibrahm-Gama said that public awareness remained critical in addressing environmental challenges because it encourages community participation and ownership in preventing flooding and erosion.
He further highlighted the role of traditional rulers, community leaders and the media in promoting sensitisation campaigns and mobilising residents toward environmental protection.
In Katsina State, he Executive Secretary, State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), Hajiya Binta Dangani, said that the government in collaboration with NEMA has commenced sensitisation of residents in vulnerable communities across the state.
She said the exercise was aimed at strengthening disaster risk governance and enhancing resilience against flood-related disasters.
