At least 245 lives were lost to flood disaster in 2026, according to the dashboard of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA).
The dashboard revealed that a total of 673,350 persons were affected by flood across 134 Local Government Areas in 28 states as of 20 October 2026.
The dashboard also revealed that a total of 214,997 persons were displaced within the period under review.
Commenting on the development during a meeting of key stakeholders, Director General, NEMA, Mrs. Zubaida Umar, represented by the Director of Planning, Research and Forecasting, Dr. Godwin Topikor, said the magnitude of the flooding underscored the urgent need to review ongoing interventions, identify response gaps and strengthen collaboration among stakeholders to address the humanitarian needs of affected communities.
She stressed the need for heightened surveillance, timely information sharing and coordinated preparedness against emerging public health threats, particularly in disaster-affected communities where displacement, poor sanitation and limited access to essential services could heighten health vulnerabilities.
Umar stressed the need for relevant institutions to harmonise climate forecasts, assess potential risks and translate early warning information into practical anticipatory actions to minimise possible impacts on lives, livelihoods and critical infrastructure.
She reiterated that effective disaster management required a proactive, multisectoral approach anchored on early warning, preparedness, risk reduction, timely response and sustainable recovery.
She called on the participating institutions to deepen operational collaboration, eliminate duplication of efforts and prioritise the protection of vulnerable populations, particularly women, children, older persons and persons with disabilities.
Umar revealed that the Agency conveyed the National Emergency Coordination Forum (NECF) to review ongoing flood response efforts across Nigeria, strengthen inter-agency coordination and harmonise preparedness measures ahead of the anticipated 2026/2027 El Niño phenomenon.
On his part, Deputy Director of Planning, Research and Forecasting, Mr. Tony Ephraim, encouraged participants to make meaningful contributions towards identifying operational gaps, improving information sharing and developing actionable recommendations to strengthen national disaster preparedness and response.
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