Widespread flooding across Nigeria has claimed at least 232 lives and displaced more than 121,000 people as of September 20, 2025, according to the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA). The agency’s figures show that more than 339,000 people have been affected in different ways, with 681 sustaining injuries. The disaster has also left 42,301 houses damaged and destroyed over 48,000 hectares of cultivated farmland.
The heaviest tolls were recorded in Niger and Adamawa states. Niger alone accounted for 163 deaths, while Adamawa reported 59 fatalities alongside thousands of hectares of farmland destroyed. Other deaths were recorded in Taraba, Yobe, Borno, Gombe, and Jigawa states. Lagos, Akwa Ibom, Imo, Taraba, Rivers, and Delta are also among the most severely hit, with thousands displaced and homes and farmlands swept away.
In Lagos, nearly 58,000 residents were affected, while in Adamawa, more than 23,000 people were forced out of their homes. Akwa Ibom saw 40,000 residents displaced and over 17,000 homes damaged, while Imo reported 29,000 affected and 15,000 displaced. In Taraba, more than 26,000 people were hit, five lives lost, and hundreds of injuries reported. Rivers, Delta, Abia, Edo, Borno, and Kaduna also suffered significant losses of homes and livelihoods.
NEMA has identified food, shelter, health services, water and sanitation, and livelihood support as the most urgent needs of victims. However, relief efforts face serious challenges. Resource shortages remain the biggest obstacle, accounting for 68 percent of the problems reported. Inaccessibility of flooded communities makes it difficult to deliver aid, while security risks and, in some cases, resistance from communities have further complicated operations.
In Gombe State, officials confirmed that close to 1,000 households have been displaced since the start of the rainy season, with 15 lives lost to flood-related incidents. The State Emergency Management Agency also reported a tragic canoe accident in Funakaye that claimed five lives. Similarly, in Sokoto, heavy downpours earlier in September ravaged 61 communities in Rabah Local Government Area, destroying about 2,200 houses and displacing more than 5,300 households.
Kano State has also suffered extensive damage from windstorms that accompanied heavy rainfall, while Bauchi authorities disclosed that the government has spent about ₦500 million to help victims rebuild their homes. In Bayelsa, Cross River, Yobe, and several other states, thousands have been displaced as rivers overflowed and communities were cut off.
Authorities and humanitarian partners are racing against time to provide relief and prevent further disaster as water levels continue to rise in some regions. Experts warn that climate change, poor urban planning, and inadequate infrastructure are worsening the impact of flooding in Nigeria, turning the rainy season into an annual humanitarian crisis.
