As the rainy season intensifies, residents in Abuja’s flood-prone communities are renewing their urgent calls for decisive government action. From Lugbe to Nyanya, many say they are weary of annual warnings that do little to stop streets from turning into rivers and homes into temporary shelters for disaster, NICHOLAS KALU reports
Every rainy season, Abuja’s flood-prone communities brace not for relief, but for emergency. With the forecasts issued by NiMet, the flood alerts from the National Flood Early Warning System, and advisory campaigns, one question remains unanswered for many residents: When will authorities translate warnings into solutions? Residents’ frustrations reverberate across Abuja yearly.
For instance, Gloria Ashedu of Trademoore Estate, Lugbe, narrated the situation thus: “Every year we wait, and every year the water comes,” in a description of how floodwaters rise swiftly, overtaking ground floors despite residents’ efforts to fortify homes with culverts and pumps.
From Nyanya to Gwagwalada, from Asokoro to Garki, once-vibrant neighbourhoods now brace for disaster rather than celebrating the rain.
Drugstore managers in Garki, market women in Wuse and public servants in Asokoro recount transport paralysis, collapsed roads and submerged homes turning daily routines into survival challenges.
Voices of despair and defiance
At Nyanya’s Area “A” Extension, Helen Ani has a message for the FCT Administration. She recalls how drains choke on refuse and buildings spring up where water runs. She demands hard infrastructure: retention ponds, emergency control centres, automated weather stations and enforceable fines to deter dumping and illegal construction.
In Kubwa, Lugbe, Bwari and Kuje, residents urge collaboration between the Ministry of Environment and Urban Planning authorities. They proposed a joint drain clearance, enforcement of building codes and shared information dissemination to avert blockages and flooding. The appeal is clear; flooding is not just a natural event, but also a manmade failure.
At the national level, the Federal Ministry of Environment conducted its 2025 Flood Awareness Campaign in Nyanya, even as it urged communities to avoid building on waterways, obey town planning laws and heed early warnings.
The Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Mahmud Kambari, stressed that floods displace thousands, damage infrastructure and disrupt livelihoods, and that resilience begins when communities act as environmental guardians.
Investments have followed words. In April 2025, the Federal Government approved N15 billion under the Anticipatory Action Framework to shift from reactive disaster response to preparedness, with agencies such as NiMet, NIHSA, NEMA and the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs collaborating to practice early action.
Yet, Abuja residents feel the gap between policy and streets. They see no retention basins, no ready shelters, no boats or pumps standing by when the rain turns deadly.
However, some communities such as Lugbe offer a glimmer of what works. Since mid-2024, local volunteers in the Lugbe Flood Watch WhatsApp group have coordinated sandbag distribution and real-time alerts. The Abuja Environmental Protection Board’s drainage expansion project there reportedly reduced flood incidents by 40 per cent compared to the previous year.
This proves readiness works when residents and authorities coordinate, and when investments include maintenance, community platforms and drainage infrastructure.
Residents want action, not just words
Residents across flood-prone wards are united in asking for concrete actions: Drains cleared and retained, Patrols for clearing waste, enforced fines for dumping and the construction of retention ponds, especially near public buildings such as schools and hospitals.
Community-level alerts and shelters: Loudspeaker announcements, SMS systems, door-to-door alerts and activated safe shelters with power and communications equipment.
Prepared rapid response: Prepositioned boats, power generating sets, first-aid teams, evacuation drills, and community training in flood response.
Upgrade urban planning enforcement: Remove buildings blocking waterways, enforce setbacks and coordinate the Ministry of Environment and Urban Development agencies with urgency.
Public accountability: Regular updates on flood infrastructure projects, turnaround on approved funds and community liaison officers to track progress.
They also maintained that rain is predictable while flooding should not be, adding that rain falls as it always does and that flood alerts are routine. This year, the FEWS Centre flagged Abuja’s flood risk zones—from Asokoro to Kubwa—weeks before the rains began. Meanwhile, citizens await delivery of infrastructure that matches the forecasts.
The communities and residents plead for action over awareness. Residents no longer ask for warnings. They demand protection. From Kampala to Lokogoma, Nyanya to Garki, voices call out: build retention ponds, clear drainage, enforce plans, equip emergency units and share early alerts directly with homes.
Floods are no longer natural surprises. Climate change and poor planning make the threat greater, but preventable. As communities stand on the brink, they are uniting in one plea: translate funds, campaigns and frameworks into flood-proof futures.
Residents, therefore, demand lasting flood solutions. This is so because for many residents, the sense of déjà vu is as troubling as the floodwaters themselves. Each year, as dark clouds gather over the capital, anxiety sets in among communities that have lived through the havoc of past rainy seasons. They recount a familiar cycle: seasonal warnings from agencies, a few hurried attempts at desilting drains and then, after the first downpour, the water still comes, fast, forceful and unforgiving.
The cost of inaction
While statistics about flood damage are sobering, millions of naira lost in property, disrupted businesses and, in some cases, lives, residents insist that the human toll is the most pressing concern.
In communities such as Karshi, residents recount harrowing nights of scooping water out of their living rooms and bundling children onto higher ground. In Gwagwalada, where the river often overflows, families sometimes camp with relatives for days until the waters recede.
Urban planners and environmentalists, therefore, argue that the situation is not simply a force of nature; it is largely man-made. Years of unregulated development, blocked drainage channels and poor waste management have left many communities vulnerable.
Residents, therefore, urge the FCT Administration and the Federal Ministry of Water Resources to shift from reactive measures to proactive, long-term planning. This, they say, should include enforcing building codes, relocating structures erected on floodplains and creating sustainable urban drainage systems that can handle the city’s expanding population.
Many residents still remember the devastating floods of 2022 and 2023, when heavy rains displaced hundreds and destroyed infrastructure in several districts. In Lugbe’s Trademore Estate, video footage of cars floating in brown floodwater circulated widely online, drawing both sympathy and outrage. The government responded with demolition orders for certain structures and a promise to address drainage issues, but residents say the underlying problems remain.
“In 2022, after the huge flood, we thought that would be the turning point. They came, they demolished some houses, and they made a lot of announcements. But here we are again, and the story is the same,” a resident, Chidi Nwafor, recalled.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency (NIHSA) and the FCT Department of Development Control all play roles in flood prevention and response. However, experts and community leaders point out that the lack of coordination among these agencies often hampers results.
“What we have is a fragmented system where agencies issue warnings and conduct inspections, but no single body ensures follow-through on long-term flood control measures. We need an integrated flood management strategy for Abuja, not just emergency response when the damage is already done,” an environmental enthusiast, Grace Longe, said.
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Experts note that the problem of flooding in Abuja and its communities is exacerbated by climate change and the intensifying rainfall. Adding to the challenge is the reality of climate change.
According to NIHSA, rainfall patterns in Abuja have become more intense, with sudden downpours delivering large volumes of water in short periods. This overwhelms the city’s drainage systems, especially in informal settlements that lack basic infrastructure.
In Nyanya, resident groups have begun small-scale efforts to adapt, including building raised walkways and pooling funds for community sandbags. But they say such efforts can only go so far without the government’s backing.
“We can do little things, but we cannot redesign the whole drainage system by ourselves,” Ahmed Umar, a community leader said.
As the rainy season progresses, social media has become a key platform for residents to share videos and testimonies of flooding in their areas. These posts often tag relevant agencies and government officials, with hash tags demanding immediate action.
“Abuja is the seat of power. If the capital itself cannot manage flooding, what message does that send to other parts of Nigeria?” another resident, David Effiong, rhetorically asked.
For now, agencies continue to issue advisories that urge residents in flood-prone zones to relocate temporarily or prepare for possible evacuations. But many say that while such warnings save lives in the short term, they do nothing to break the cycle of yearly disaster.
“Every year, we are told to move. Where do they expect us to go? People have invested their life savings here. We want solutions, not just warnings.” Ojo in Lugbe said.
The clock is ticking
Meteorologists predict that the heaviest rains of the season are yet to come. This indicates that the risk of severe flooding remains high in the coming months. For residents, the urgency is clear. Unless the authorities take bold steps to address drainage deficiencies, enforce planning regulations and invest in long-term infrastructure, the story of Abuja’s floods will continue to be written in the same way, year after year, community after community.
As dusk falls over the capital and another curtain of rain sweeps across its streets, residents brace themselves once more. In their hearts, they hope the water will not rise too high. In their voices, they demand that the authorities listen, this time, before it is too late.
