Heavy flooding has inundated numerous homes in five local government areas across Anambra State, driven by rising water levels from the River Niger and associated activities.
The affected areas include Anambra West, Anambra East, Ogbaru, Awka North, and Ayamelum.
Social media is awash with videos and images showing residents, including children, navigating through floodwaters, with many houses, markets, churches, schools, and other facilities submerged. In one video, Nnoru Anaekwe, a resident from the hard-hit community of Mmiata-Anam in Anambra West LGA, described how residents now rely on wooden canoes to travel as significant portions of their community remain underwater.
Another clip featured Mrs. Edith Ndive, Deputy Local Government Chairman of Anambra West, paddling in a canoe towards her home. Additional footage depicted submerged school buildings and children swimming and paddling canoes through the floodwaters.
This region is still recovering from a tragic incident in 2023, when over 40 individuals, primarily women and children fleeing to safer areas, lost their lives in a boat accident caused by rising waters that struck a bridge.
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Responding to the crisis, State Commissioner for Environment Felix Odimegwu confirmed that the government is aware of the situation and has begun implementing necessary interventions. He noted that water levels have increased in recent weeks and the situation is under continuous monitoring.
“The Anambra State Government Flood Management Team, alongside personnel from NEMA, SEMA, the International Organisation for Migration, and the Red Cross Society, is actively collecting data at Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps,” he said.
Odimegwu reported that the state has activated 27 camps to accommodate those displaced by the flooding and has begun distributing relief materials, including over 2,400 cartons of food items, to the affected local government areas.
“Thanks to our preparations and early warning systems, many residents have relocated to higher ground or sought refuge with relatives,” he added. “We are also receiving additional supplies, including bags of beans and rice from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, which will be distributed shortly.”
The commissioner emphasized that while the exact number of displaced individuals remains unclear, efforts are underway to gather accurate data and provide essential support.
