The Hydroelectric Power Producing Areas Development Commission (HYPPADEC) has commended the Federal Government for approving N80 billion to mitigate the impact of flooding in vulnerable communities.

Managing Director of HYPPADEC, Abubakar Sadiq Yelwa, who commended the government yesterday, described the intervention as a proactive step and called for more funds to effectively control and address the looming challenge.

MEANWHILE, the National Orientation Agency (NOA) and the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) have raised a fresh nationwide flood alert, urging residents of Sokoto, Borno, Kaduna, and 24 other states to immediately evacuate flood-prone and other high-risk areas, as torrential rains threaten widespread flash floods across Nigeria.

Yelwa spoke while fielding questions from journalists in Ilorin after the Commission’s quarterly management meeting, where top officials reviewed ongoing projects, assessed programme implementations and discussed strategies for improving service delivery across member-states.

He said that the quarterly meeting offers opportunity for management to evaluate the performance of various departments and divisions, identify operational challenges and receive feedback from field offices to strengthen project implementation.

According to him, HYPPADEC has sustained yearly flood preparedness campaign by embarking on early sensitisation programmes several months before the onset of the rainy season in flood-prone communities.

Yelwa said that the Commission’s enforcement of the “no work, no pay” policy was meant to promote discipline and accountability in the public service.

He stressed that staff members who absent themselves from duty without valid justification should not expect to receive salaries while their colleagues continue to discharge their responsibilities.

The warning, issued under a flash flood risk advisory covering July 1-10, 2026, placed 27 states on red alert, with authorities cautioning that millions of Nigerians living in low-lying and vulnerable communities could face severe flooding if the current downpour persists.

The states identified as being at risk are Taraba, Sokoto, Borno, Zamfara, Kebbi, Katsina, Kaduna, Nasarawa, Plateau, Adamawa, Kwara, Kogi, Oyo, Ogun, Lagos, Osun, Ekiti, Delta, Edo, Abia, Imo, Anambra, Enugu, Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Rivers and Bayelsa.

In a public advisory, the NOA, relying on NiMet’s forecasts, directed residents in flood-prone communities to relocate to safer locations without delay, stressing that early evacuation remains the most effective way to prevent avoidable deaths and destruction.

The agency warned Nigerians against walking, driving, or riding through flooded roads, noting that fast-moving floodwaters can sweep people and vehicles away within seconds.

It also urged residents to clear blocked drainage channels around homes, schools, markets and public facilities to ensure the free flow of stormwater.

Besides, it advised parents to keep children away from flooded areas and open drains, while residents whose homes become inundated should disconnect electricity supplies to avoid electrocution.

HOWEVER, Lagos State Commissioner for Waterfront Infrastructure Development, Dayo Bush-Alebiosu, has blamed persistent flooding in the state on poor environmental practices and illegal land reclamation.

Bush-Alebiosu said indiscriminate waste disposal, illegal dredging and unauthorised reclamation had continued to undermine efforts to tackle flooding in the coastal state.

He spoke on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief, yesterday.

He said that while illegal reclamation was driven by commercial interests, poor waste disposal stemmed largely from residents’ attitudes.