At least 232 people have died and 121,224 others displaced following devastating floods that swept across Nigeria as of September 20, according to the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA).
The 2025 flood dashboard revealed that 339,658 Nigerians have suffered varying degrees of losses, with 681 injured and 115 reported missing. In addition, the floods destroyed 42,301 houses and wiped out over 48,000 hectares of farmland, deepening food security concerns.
⚠️ Death Toll by State
The highest casualties were recorded in Niger State (163 deaths), followed by Adamawa (59 deaths). Taraba, Yobe, Borno, Gombe, and Jigawa also reported fatalities, bringing the nationwide toll to 232.
🌊 Worst-Hit States
- Lagos: 57,951 affected, 3,680 displaced, 3,244 houses damaged.
- Adamawa: 57,890 affected, 23,077 displaced, 59 killed, 9,000+ farmlands destroyed.
- Akwa Ibom: 46,233 affected, 40,140 displaced, 17,000+ homes and farmlands damaged.
- Imo: 29,242 affected, 15,607 displaced, 81 injured.
- Taraba: 26,722 affected, 3,080 displaced, 88 injured, 5 killed.
- Rivers & Delta: Thousands displaced with widespread destruction of homes and farms.
Other affected states include Kaduna, Bayelsa, Cross River, Sokoto, Borno, Yobe, and Kwara, among others.
🏚️ Relief Needs and Challenges
NEMA identified food, shelter, health services, water, sanitation, and livelihood support as the most urgent needs for victims. However, relief operations face hurdles:
- Resource shortages (68%)
- Inaccessible flooded communities (17%)
- Security risks (6%)
- Community resistance (7%)
🏘️ State-Level Responses
- Gombe: Nearly 1,000 households displaced, 15 deaths, and a tragic canoe accident killing five.
- Sokoto: Floods ravaged 61 communities, destroying 2,200 homes and displacing 5,300 households.
- Kaduna: 970 displaced, 270 homes destroyed; temporary flood camp closed as waters recede.
- Kano & Bauchi: Hundreds of homes lost; Bauchi spent N500m on interventions.
- Nasarawa: Intensified campaigns urging residents in flood-prone areas to relocate.
- Jigawa: Escaped major displacements after investing N4.2bn in proactive flood mitigation.
- Niger: Emergency authorities continue sensitisation, warning riverine dwellers to move to safer grounds.
🌍 Bigger Picture
Floods in 2025 continue to expose Nigeria’s vulnerability to climate change, poor urban planning, and weak infrastructure. With over 121,000 displaced, experts warn that unless stronger mitigation and enforcement measures are implemented, the humanitarian and economic toll of seasonal flooding will only worsen.
