At Least 321 People Killed in Nationwide Flooding in Nigeria

Nigeria has reported at least 321 fatalities and over 740,000 displacements due to severe flooding this year, Xinhua reported yesterday.

The floods, primarily triggered by prolonged rainfall, have also resulted in approximately 2,854 injuries.

Chukwuma Soludo, governor of Anambra state, announced these figures following a National Economic Council meeting in Abuja. He described the situation as a national emergency, stating that 34 of Nigeria’s 36 states and 217 local government areas have been affected.

The flooding has destroyed or impacted around 281,000 homes and 258,000 acres of farmland. In response to this disaster, the Economic Council has mandated a comprehensive review of local waterways and dams to help mitigate future flooding impacts. Soludo emphasized the urgent need for extensive dredging of waterways and called for governors to submit reports on the flooding situation in their states promptly.