Politics
Dozens dead in Accra, Abidjan, Lagos floods
FLOODS triggered by days of torrential rainfall have killed dozens of people and displaced hundreds across three major West African cities – Lagos, Accra and Abidjan – raising fresh concerns over climate change, poor urban planning and inadequate drainage infrastructure.
In Ghana, authorities confirmed that at least 13 people have died after intense rainfall submerged large sections of the capital, Accra, with emergency officials warning the death toll could rise as rescue operations continue and several people remain missing.
The Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) said it had rescued more than 470 residents trapped by floodwaters, while emergency teams drawn from the military, police, fire service and the National Disaster Management Organisation remained on the ground searching flooded communities.
The government urged residents to remain indoors where safe or move immediately to higher ground, warning that another storm system approaching from the east could trigger additional flooding.
President John Mahama disclosed that preliminary data showed approximately 140 millimetres of rainfall fell on Accra within a short period more than double the city’s highest single-day rainfall recorded in 2025.
“That increase points to climate change,” Mahama wrote on X, while also blaming clogged drainage channels and illegal construction on waterways for worsening the disaster.
Following an aerial assessment of the city, the president ordered the demolition of structures obstructing natural waterways.
The floods also forced the temporary shutdown of electricity in parts of Accra after floodwaters damaged key power substations, while a major fire broke out at a rubber factory amid the flooding.
Residents described scenes of widespread devastation, as authorities braced for further rainfall forcing markets, businesses and roads to remain closed.
Ivory Coast records about 20 deaths
Neighbouring Ivory Coast also suffered deadly flooding after heavy rains that began over the weekend.
Although authorities had yet to release an official casualty figure, a source close to firefighters and the country’s Interior Ministry told Journalist that about 20 people had died in the commercial capital, Abidjan, following floods and landslides.
The disaster has compounded concerns over increasingly frequent extreme weather events affecting coastal West Africa.
In Lagos, hours of heavy rainfall on Tuesday submerged roads, homes and businesses across several parts of the state, disrupting transportation, knocking out electricity in several communities and forcing some residents to abandon their homes.
Communities affected included FESTAC, Gbagada, Ikeja, Ajah, Evans, Olushi, Anikantamo, Adeniji Adele, Victoria Island, Lekki, Mushin and Mafoluku, where videos circulating online showed residents wading through knee-deep floodwaters while stranded motorists struggled to navigate submerged roads.
Residents blamed the recurring floods on blocked drainage systems, poor road construction and unchecked urban development.
“The way the road was constructed contributes to the flooding,” Ikeja resident Abidemi Raji said, alleging that construction activities had obstructed an important drainage channel connecting neighbouring streets.
In FESTAC, resident Okeke Mmesoma described the flooding as an annual ordeal.
“Anytime it rains heavily, this place gets flooded. My shoes were soaked this morning on my way to work,” she said.
The flooding also disrupted electricity supply after floodwaters damaged critical equipment at the Oworo 132/33kV Transmission Station.
Power distribution company Ikeja Electric confirmed that two transformers and multiple 33kV feeders were affected, resulting in outages across communities including Ladilak, Bariga, Oworo, Pedro, Agboyi, Araba and Gbagada.
In neighbouring Ogun State, residents of Gloryland Estate in Ibafo appealed for urgent government intervention after floodwaters damaged homes and forced some families to relocate temporarily.
The ICIR reports that flooding is a recurring yearly tragedy in Nigeria.
Between January and August 2025, the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) said at least 165 people had died and 82 were missing due to flooding.
In a data dashboard released on August 1, the agency said 119,791 people were affected, with 138 injured and 43,936 displaced across 43 Local Government Areas in 19 states.
Nanji is an investigative journalist with the ICIR. She has years of experience in reporting and broadcasting human angle stories, gender inequalities, minority stories, and human rights issues. She has documented sexual war crimes in armed conflict, sex for grades in Nigerian Universities, harmful traditional practices and human trafficking.
