With forecasts predicting significant floods in 2025, Communities in Kogi State vulnerable to the annual cycle of flooding have appealed to the government for urgent intervention.
Residents of the communities within Lokoja Local Government Area fear a repeat of the devastation caused by the recent flood in neighboring Niger State, where more than 160 lives were lost.
Kogi is among the Nigerian states identified as high-risk for flooding in the 2025 seasonal forecast.
Although kogi state has battled severe flooding in past years, concerns are mounting among the people that this year’s floods could be more catastrophic, especially in the wake of the recent tragedy in Mokwa Niger State.
Residents of flood-prone areas claim that enough measures have not been put in place by the government to prepare for the looming disaster, saying that unless urgent actions are taken, lives and property could once again be lost.
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Many of the residents said the harsh economic realities have made it impossible for them to relocate from their vulnerable homes therefore appealed to the government to provide alternative shelter or support for them before the floods arrive.
The Kogi State Commissioner for Environment and Ecological Management, Joseph Oluwasegun, told AIT News that the current administration is actively working on measures to mitigate the impact of this year’s floods.
He urged residents living in low-lying and flood-prone areas to relocate to higher ground as a precaution, emphasizing that safety remains the government’s top priority.
