Torrential rains in the area around Mokwa, an important market town 225 kms west of Abuja, has resulted in devastating floods that have killed at least 115 people, with the death toll expected to rise as rescue efforts continue.
The floods, triggered by what is believed to be 5 hours of heavy rainfall commencing on the 28 May, submerged and destroyed at least 50 homes. A dam collapse of a small dam around New Bussa, a town to the north west and close to the Kainji Reservoir Dam may have exacerbated the situation, displacing many residents. Local officials noted this was the worst flooding in Mokwa in 60 years.
Jibril Muregi, chairman of Mokwa Local Government Area, stated that inadequate infrastructure intensified the flood’s impact. He urged the government to initiate the long-overdue construction of waterways in Mokwa as part of a climate resilience project.
The National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA, in collaboration with the Nigerian Armed Forces and the Niger State Government are now leading the rescue and emergency support provision.
Last year in northern and northeastern Nigeria flooding killed at least 259 people, displaced 625,239, and affected over 1 million across 34 states. On a broader national scale, the floods of September 2022, the worst for the country since 2012 affecting 33 of Nigeria’s 36 states, killing over 603 people, displacing 1.4 million, and injuring more than 2,400. Over 200,000 homes and 332,327 hectares of farmland were damaged.
