Extreme flooding in Nigeria: at least 180 casualties

On Monday September 2^nd, a building collapsed after heavy rainfall and flood in Katsina, northern Nigeria. The incident resulted in the death of 2 children while a third one was injured. According to the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), the region has been facing severe flooding for the last two weeks raising the death toll up to 180. NEMA also stated that thousands of people were displaced because of the extreme weather and forced to flee their homes in the north-west.

Bola Tinubu, the President of Nigeria, expressed his condolences to the affected communities and emphasized the importance of addressing climate change. Moreover, he underscored the need to create a more climate-resilient society to be prepared for any extreme natural phenomena they might face in the future.

In all, the country is under significant stress as it is facing the worst economic crisis of the last decade. Approximately 107,000 hectares of farmland have been destroyed leading to food prices being at edge while Nigerians are trying to survive. This marks the second time in the last two years that Nigeria has experienced such extreme flooding.