NEMA Warns: 12 Kebbi LGAs Risk Severe Flooding as River Niger Peaks in September

The National Emergency Management Agency has issued a clear and urgent warning that September 2026 will mark the peak of the flood season in Kebbi State, with projections indicating severe flooding across twelve local government areas. The agency’s assessment, delivered at a stakeholders’ engagement on the National Disaster Preparedness and Response Campaign held in Birnin Kebbi, has placed the state on high alert and prompted renewed calls for coordinated action by government, communities and development partners.

Representing the Director-General of NEMA, Hajiya Zubaida Umar, the Director of the North-West Zonal Directorate, Aliyu Shehu Kafindongi, told participants that the River Niger is expected to overflow its banks during the peak period. The resulting inundation, he explained, is likely to affect farmlands, riverside settlements and critical infrastructure across a wide swathe of the state. Elevated water levels are projected to persist into October and November, meaning that the impact of the flooding could be prolonged rather than limited to a single catastrophic peak.

The twelve local government areas identified as particularly vulnerable are Argungu, Augie, Bagudo, Birnin Kebbi, Dandi, Fakai, Koko/Besse, Maiyama, Ngaski, Shanga, Zuru and Yauri. These areas either lie along the main course of the River Niger and its major tributaries or occupy low-lying terrain that has historically been susceptible to seasonal inundation. For communities that depend on flood-recession agriculture, the annual rise of the river is both a blessing and a threat; the same waters that deposit fertile silt can, when they rise too high or too fast, destroy homes, wash away roads and displace entire villages.

NEMA used the stakeholders’ engagement to call on a broad range of actors to support the amplification of early warning messages. Traditional institutions, religious organisations, women and youth groups, the media and the private sector were all urged to play their part in ensuring that information about the expected flooding reaches the most vulnerable households in time for them to take protective action. The agency’s message was clear: preparedness is a shared responsibility, and the effectiveness of the response will depend on the quality of collaboration among all stakeholders.

The Executive Secretary of the Kebbi State Emergency Management Agency, Abubakar Abdullahi, told the gathering that the state government had already put measures in place to respond to the predicted flooding. SEMA has been working to strengthen local emergency management committees, improve early-warning systems and pre-position relief materials in high-risk areas. The engagement in Birnin Kebbi was framed as an opportunity to renew collective resolve and to ensure that every relevant institution understands its role in the weeks and months ahead.

In a related development that has provided a measure of reassurance, the Director-General of NEMA has publicly described Governor Nasir Idris as a frontline leader in disaster response. During an advocacy visit by media aides to the Kebbi State Government, Hajiya Zubaida Umar praised the governor’s swift response to emergencies and his commitment to transformative development. She noted that the remarkable developments recorded in Kebbi under the current administration were evident and not based on hearsay, adding that she had personally witnessed some of the achievements during her visits to the state.

The NEMA Director-General specifically recalled an incident during one of her earlier visits when a security challenge arose and Governor Idris took immediate action. She described him as extremely proactive in responding to emerging challenges. She also commended the administration’s efforts in the education sector, including the employment of two thousand teachers, the provision of buses to tertiary institutions, and the achievements of Kebbi students who developed a local flood early-warning system and subsequently won several awards. The provision of solar street lighting, which has improved night-time movement and security, was likewise noted as evidence of the state’s attention to public safety and infrastructure.

Hajiya Umar further observed that the governor’s responsiveness had strengthened collaboration between the state government and NEMA. She recalled suggesting the establishment of a more permanent NEMA presence in Kebbi and noted that the governor had acted promptly on the recommendation. The Director-General also praised the state’s disaster preparedness and response capacity in relation to flooding caused by the Rima and Niger rivers, noting that the government had consistently responded to seasonal climate predictions and annual flood outlooks.

For ordinary residents of the twelve listed local government areas, the NEMA warning is both a call to vigilance and a reminder of past experiences. Many communities still carry the memory of previous flood seasons in which homes were submerged, harvests were lost and families were forced to seek temporary shelter on higher ground. The difference this year, officials hope, will be the quality of advance preparation and the speed with which early warnings are translated into concrete protective measures at the household and community levels.

Agricultural stakeholders are particularly concerned about the potential impact on rice and other crops that form the backbone of Kebbi’s economy. The state has long been recognised as a major rice-producing area, and large numbers of farmers depend on the fertile flood plains for their livelihoods. While controlled flooding can enhance soil fertility, uncontrolled or excessive inundation can destroy standing crops and delay the planting of subsequent seasons. Extension services and farmer associations are therefore being encouraged to work closely with SEMA and local authorities to ensure that planting schedules and storage arrangements take the flood outlook into account.

Infrastructure managers face a parallel set of challenges. Roads, bridges, schools and health facilities located in low-lying areas are at risk of damage or temporary isolation. The state government has in recent years invested in urban renewal, street lighting and road construction, but the annual flood season continues to test the resilience of these assets. Pre-flood inspections, the clearing of drainage channels and the reinforcement of vulnerable structures are among the measures that local governments and relevant ministries have been urged to prioritise in the coming weeks.

Community-level preparedness remains the critical last mile of the response. Traditional rulers and religious leaders, who command significant moral authority in Kebbi’s towns and villages, have been asked to use their platforms to disseminate early warning information and to encourage residents to move to safer locations when necessary. Women and youth groups are being mobilised to support vulnerable households, particularly the elderly, persons with disabilities and families with young children. The media, both traditional and social, has a continuing role in ensuring that accurate information reaches the widest possible audience.

Looking beyond the immediate season, the NEMA warning and the subsequent commendation of the state’s leadership point to a longer-term agenda of building resilience. Investments in early-warning systems, including the student-developed flood alert technology that has already attracted national recognition, represent an important step toward reducing the element of surprise that has historically amplified the impact of floods. The installation of river gauges and the development of safe evacuation maps by partners such as the Nigerian Red Cross further illustrate the multi-layered approach that is gradually taking shape.

As September approaches, the people of Kebbi will be watching the River Niger with a mixture of hope and apprehension. The same waters that have sustained communities for generations now carry the potential for significant disruption. The quality of the response will depend on the continued collaboration of NEMA, SEMA, the state government, local authorities, traditional institutions and ordinary citizens. If the early warnings are heeded and the preparedness measures are fully implemented, the 2026 flood season may yet be remembered as a period when anticipatory action limited the damage and protected lives and livelihoods.

Residents are advised to stay alert to official updates, clear drainage channels around their homes, secure important documents and belongings, and identify safe higher ground in advance. Local emergency committees should ensure that vulnerable persons are known and that evacuation routes remain clear. The coming weeks will test the preparedness systems that have been put in place; the goal must be that when the waters rise, the people of Kebbi are ready.

What People Are Saying

Online conversation about the flood outlook in Kebbi has been dominated by messages of preparedness rather than panic. Posts circulating on X have focused on the NEMA warning itself, the list of vulnerable local government areas, and the parallel commendation of Governor Idris by the agency’s Director-General. Users sharing the DG’s remarks have highlighted her description of the governor as a proactive leader who responds swiftly to emergencies and who has driven visible development in infrastructure, education and public safety. These posts have helped to frame the flood warning within a broader narrative of a state government that is already engaged with disaster risk reduction.

Partners involved in community resilience work have also used the platform to draw attention to practical measures already under way. The Nigerian Red Cross Society and its collaborators have shared images and descriptions of river gauges and safe evacuation maps installed across Kebbi. These posts emphasise that flood preparedness begins long before the water rises and that the combination of technical tools, local knowledge and institutional collaboration is essential for protecting lives and livelihoods. The visibility of such initiatives on social media has reinforced the message that the state is not starting from zero.

Among residents of the twelve listed local government areas, the tone of online commentary has been pragmatic. Users have recalled previous flood seasons, noted the importance of clearing drains and moving valuables to higher ground, and urged neighbours to take the NEMA advisory seriously. Some have called for more frequent updates from SEMA as the peak period approaches, while others have expressed confidence that the combination of early warning and government preparedness will reduce the scale of disruption compared with previous years.

National commentators following the story have pointed to Kebbi as an example of a state that is attempting to institutionalise disaster preparedness rather than relying solely on reactive relief. The recognition accorded to the student-developed early-warning system and the prompt response of the governor to NEMA’s suggestions have been cited as positive indicators. At the same time, observers have cautioned that the real test will come when the river actually rises, and that the effectiveness of the preparedness measures will be judged by the number of lives and assets protected.

As the conversation continues, the dominant message from both official and citizen voices remains one of vigilance and cooperation. The flood outlook is serious, the vulnerable areas are clearly identified, and the institutions responsible for response have signalled their readiness. What remains is the sustained effort of communities to translate warning into action.