At least 49 people have lost their lives and thousands have been displaced following severe flooding in Nigeria's northeastern states, according to the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA).
The floods, triggered by heavy rains, have severely affected the states of Jigawa, Adamawa, and Taraba, with 41,344 people forced to leave their homes, NEMA spokesperson Manzo Ezekiel reported on Monday.
Ezekiel expressed concern about the ongoing rainy season, particularly in northern Nigeria.
In response to the flooding, the Nigerian government has constructed 110km of embankments, Al Jazeera reports.
Despite these efforts, the floods continue to cause significant loss of life and property, straining government resources. The flooding's impact is also worsened by challenges in the farming sector, where many farmers have abandoned their land due to ongoing attacks by armed groups.
The government has also indicated that 31 of Nigeria's 36 states are at risk of high floods this year, with rising water levels in the upper countries of the River Niger adding to the concern.
The peak of the rainy season, expected in September and October, is likely to bring further destruction. "Only God knows what the state will be when we reach that time," said Haruna Mairiga from the Jigawa Emergency Management Agency.
In 2022, Nigeria faced its worst flooding in over a decade. More than 600 lives were lost, around 1.4 million people were displaced, and 440,000 hectares of farmland were destroyed.
The current flooding has already damaged approximately 693 hectares of agricultural land, worsening the nation's struggles with double-digit inflation driven by high food prices.