Over 2 million displaced, 200 communities submerged as severe floods hit Kogi, Nigeria
Flooding in Nigeria’s Kogi State has displaced nearly 2 million people as of October 14, 2024, with over 200 communities and approximately 60 000 ha (150 000 acres) of land submerged as the Niger and Benue rivers overflowed.
Satellite image of floods in Lokoja, Kogi, Nigeria on October 8, 2024. Image credit: Copernicus EU/Sentinel-2, The Watchers
A major humanitarian crisis is unfolding in Nigeria’s Kogi State, where flooding from the Niger and Benue rivers has submerged over 200 communities, displacing more than 2 million residents as of October 14. The flooding is affecting nine of the state’s 21 local government areas, including Lokoja, Kogi, Adavi, Ofu, Ajaokuta, Idah, Ibaji, Igalamela, and Omalla.
Rescuers in Kogi State have been assisting residents with evacuations to displacement camps or villages away from the confluence of the two rivers.
According to Umar Y. Mahmud, the disaster management officer for the Red Cross in Kogi State, around 60 000 ha (150 000 acres) of land has also been submerged by the floods.
“The situation is very bad now as the Niger River is rising,” Mahmud said.
More than three-quarters of the land in Ibaji District has been flooded, according to Kingsley Fanwo, the State Commissioner for Information and Communications.
Schools, hospitals, and other critical infrastructure have been damaged and authorities have opened around 68 camps for internally displaced people but these camps can’t handle the massive influx of people.
Floods have been affecting the region since September, while other parts of Nigeria have experienced floods since late June. In Maiduguri, floods already claimed 37 lives in September.
A Flood Disaster Response Team was set up earlier to deal with the severe inundation, and the state is currently seeking aid from the federal government as well as international donor agencies to help in relief efforts against the disaster.
Floods usually start affecting Nigeria in May and last until November, but there is a possibility that this year’s floods could be worse than those of 2022, which claimed over 500 lives.
1 Tens of thousands flee Nigeria floods – Arab News – October 14, 2024
2 Kogi Govt Seeks Intervention Of FG, Others, As Flood Ravages State – Independent – October 14, 2024
I am an Assistant Editor and Severe Weather & Science Journalist at The Watchers, specializing in real-time severe weather coverage, geophysical event reporting, and research-driven scientific analysis. You can reach me at rishav(at)watchers(.)news.
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