• NEMA launches relief effort after floods in Mokwa kill about 200 people

• Floods displace 3,000, damage infrastructure, and devastate local agriculture

• Food insecurity worsens as farmland is submerged and crops destroyed

In response to the devastating floods that struck Mokwa in Niger State in May 2025, Nigeria’s National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) began distributing emergency aid to affected communities on May 31. The agency’s relief efforts aim to meet urgent needs for clean water, sanitation, and temporary shelter.

The floods, which occurred on May 29 following torrential rainfall and the partial collapse of a dam, resulted in the deaths of approximately 200 people and displaced 3,000 others. According to multiple media sources, the disaster impacted 503 households and damaged 264 houses. Extensive damage to roads and bridges disrupted the local economy and hindered rescue operations.

In the aftermath, the National Centre for Emergency Operations, led by NEMA, was activated. The center enables real-time flood monitoring, coordinates nationwide resource allocation, and oversees emergency response interventions.

Nigeria continues to face structural challenges such as recurring floods, food insecurity, and limited electricity access. Damage to transport infrastructure risks disrupting supply chains, slowing the delivery of goods, and increasing the cost of food and essential commodities.

Mokwa is a key agricultural region in Nigeria, known for producing rice, beans, and onions. The recent floods submerged large areas of farmland, destroying crops and worsening food insecurity in an already vulnerable area. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the floods of 2024 resulted in an estimated 855,629 tons of food losses in Nigeria. The FAO noted that this lost production could have fed 8.5 million people for six months.

In response to last year’s crisis, the Nigerian government, through NEMA, distributed 42,000 tons of food to vulnerable populations in 2024. The European Union also contributed €1.1 million ($1.22 million) to assist victims.

According to the World Meteorological Organization’s State of the Climate in Africa 2023 report, African countries lose between 2% and 5% of their gross domestic product annually due to extreme weather events, including heatwaves, heavy rainfall, cyclones, and droughts.