The Ogun State Government has issued a fresh flood alert, warning residents of riverine and coastal communities to relocate to safer areas between the last week of September and the second week of October 2025.

Communities expected to be affected include Isheri, Warewa, Akute, parts of Abeokuta, Ayetoro, Itele, and Iju, as well as Makun, Oni, Iwopin, Igele, Ifaara (Ogun Waterside), Ebute-Imobi (Ijebu East), Tungeji Island, and Agosasa in Ipokia Local Government Area.

State Commissioner for Environment, Dr. Ola Oresanya, issued the warning in the 2025 Ogun State Midterm Flood Alert, explaining that the relocation advice was necessary to mitigate the impact of overflow from rivers and rising sea levels.

He said the situation is expected to be worsened by heavy rainfall and the release of water from the Oyan Dam, with flow from the northern part of the country and neighbouring Benin Republic likely to affect Ogun and Lagos downstream communities.

“The overflow, which will last for about two weeks, is part of the second phase of flooding that usually occurs between September and November each year,” Oresanya said.

According to him, the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) has predicted that rainfall will peak in September at 204mm, followed by 190mm in October, before dropping to 93mm in November.

The commissioner assured residents that the Ogun State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) is on red alert for evacuation and relocation efforts.

Temporary emergency camps have been set up across the state, while the Ministry of Environment is working with the Ogun-Osun River Basin Development Authority to regulate water releases from the Oyan Dam and minimize flooding.

Oresanya further advised residents to avoid drinking water from boreholes and wells during this period due to possible contamination and urged fish farmers operating on floodplains to harvest their fish stocks early to prevent losses.

He commended residents for cooperating with the state government in recent years, which has significantly reduced the impact of flooding, and pledged the government’s continued commitment to keeping the state safe.