Ogbaru, Anambra State, Nigeria – September 17, 2025
Floodwaters from the River Niger have submerged homes, farmlands, and public spaces in Ogbaru Local Government Area of Anambra State, leaving thousands displaced and livelihoods destroyed.
Triggered by days of heavy rainfall, the floods swept through schools, churches, and markets, crippling social and economic life in the riverine communities. Families have been forced to higher grounds, while emergency shelters struggle to absorb the influx of stranded residents.
For local farmers, the losses are devastating. “The flood has destroyed my yams. I borrowed money to invest this year, but everything is gone,” said Ndidi Nwachukwu, a yam and cassava farmer. Another resident, Nwakaego Uzor, lamented that her cassava and maize fields were swallowed overnight, with no resources left to salvage them.
Community leader James Obiwanne noted that Ogbaru bears the heaviest brunt annually due to its geographical position as the last coastal area before floodwaters drain into the Atlantic. “Many elderly people cannot escape the waters. Lives and livelihoods are lost each time this disaster strikes,” he said.
The state government, in collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme, has activated temporary holding centres and begun clearing blocked waterways. Deputy Governor Onyekachukwu Ibezim, chair of the Flood Management Committee, said long-term plans include dredging the River Niger to reduce future risks.
The crisis has once again underscored Nigeria’s vulnerability to climate-induced flooding, raising fears of worsening food insecurity and displacement in the country’s flood-prone regions.
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