The Federal Government has predicted heavy rains and floods in 30 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja. The high-flood risk state includes Akwa Ibom and other states across the country.

 The Minister of Water Resources and Sanitation, JOSEPH UTSEV, on Thursday, said coastal and riverine flooding would be experienced in some parts of the South-South geopolitical zone of the country due to a rise in sea level.

 Utsev stated this during the public presentation of the 2025 Annual Flood Outlook by the Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency (NIHSA) in Abuja.

 The 2025 Annual Flood Outlook (AFO) was segmented into three parts to address the pressing challenges of flood disasters and provide information for mitigation, especially in the most vulnerable communities

 The minister disclosed that flooding remained one of the most devastating natural disasters in Nigeria with climate change accelerating its frequency and severity.

He revealed that 1,249 communities in 176 Local Government Areas (LGAs) across 30 states and the FCT fall within high-risk flood zones this year, while an additional 2,187 communities in 293 LGAs face moderate flood risks. Key risk areas include Abia, Benue, Lagos, Bayelsa, Rivers, and Jigawa, among others.