The Northern Elders Forum on Tuesday issued a strident call to the Federal Government to take swift and decisive action in the face of an impending flood crisis threatening vast parts of Northern Nigeria.

In a statement released in Abuja, NEF Spokesperson, Professor Abubakar Jiddere, warned that based on current rainfall patterns, historical precedents, and official weather alerts, the region is on the brink of a severe environmental and humanitarian disaster.

Jiddere said, “As we enter the critical month of August, traditionally marked by peak rainfall, there is an immediate need for coordinated federal and state-level intervention to avert the catastrophic consequences of inaction. Highlighting an historical precedent of devastating floods in the North Prof Jiddere said preemptive measures ought to be on ground by State and federal agencies to tackle the problem.

He listed major flood disasters and their impacts to include:

“2012: Floods began in early July, killing 363 people, displacing over 2.1 million Nigerians, and impacting 30 of the 36 states.

 “Kogi and Benue States, both in the North, were the worst hit, according to the National Emergency Management Agency.

“2022: Over 600 lives were lost, 1.3 million people were displaced, 5,700 homes were destroyed, and critical infrastructure, including hospitals, schools, farmlands, roads, and electricity networks, were severely damaged.

“9th September 2024: Borno State suffered a man-made disaster triggered by the collapse of Alau Dam in Konduga LGA.

“The resulting flash floods devastated Maiduguri and Jere LGAs, leading to multiple fatalities and widespread destruction.

“28th May 2025: Mokwa town in Niger State experienced deadly flooding caused by torrential rainfall. Official reports confirmed over 500 fatalities, 600 missing persons, mainly children, the elderly, and the physically challenged, and the destruction of 4,000 homes, farmlands, and critical public infrastructure.

 “An additional 3,600 individuals sustained various degrees of injuries, and 300 children were diagnosed with acute post-flood illnesses. A full-scale humanitarian crisis, including unsafe drinking water, poor shelter, inadequate healthcare, and electricity outages, continues to unfold.”

The NEF cited a recent alert issued on 16th July 2025, the National Flood Early Warning Systems Centre under the Federal Ministry of Environment issued an official flood alert for 11 states, 9 of which are in Northern Nigeria:

The states were named Adamawa, Borno, Bauchi, Plateau, Yobe, Katsina, Kano, Jigawa, and Zamfara.

This data, when juxtaposed with current weather forecasts and infrastructural vulnerabilities, confirms the extreme risk of flooding from now through the end of September 2025.