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Flood risks are a major concern in Nigeria, due to their consequences on human life and socioeconomic activities of the people. Floods are induced by high rainfall intensity resulting from climate change. Other factors identified as the drivers of the perennial flooding in Nigeria include, poor drainage systems, poor waste management, unregulated urbanization, weak implementation of planning laws and changes in land use without regard to ecological considerations.
Globally, the frequency and intensity of heavy rainfall events have increased since the 1950s. For each 1°C of global warming, extreme daily precipitation events are projected to intensify by about 7%. It is estimated that flood risks will expand, with three times as many people exposed to the equivalent of a 100-year flood event by the end of this century. Surface water flows and availability will become more variable between seasons and years. Soil moisture levels will decline in some critical farming areas, challenging rainfed agriculture and increasing irrigation needs.
In Nigeria, more than 2.3 million people were displaced, 363 lost their lives and 16 million were impacted in various ways, in 2012. The economic value of the loss was estimated at over US$16.9 billion. In 2022, another major flood led to the loss of 600 lives and 3.2 million people were affected across 34 of the 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory. The Nigeria Bureau of Statistics in 2023 reported the devastation to be in the range of US$3.79 billion to $9.12 billion. The economic value of the agricultural-related losses due was estimated to be about N700 billion.
