The Ogun State Government has issued a fresh flood warning, urging 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.
The warning was issued by the Commissioner for Environment, Dr. Ola Oresanya, in the 2025 Ogun State Midterm Flood Alert. He explained that the relocation advisory is to mitigate the impact of river overflow and rising sea levels, which are expected to worsen with heavy rainfall and water releases from the Oyan Dam. Additional inflows from northern Nigeria and neighbouring Benin Republic are also expected to affect downstream communities in Ogun and Lagos.
“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 the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet), rainfall is projected to peak at 204mm in September, 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 high 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.
Oresanya also advised residents to avoid drinking water from boreholes and wells during the flood period due to the risk of contamination. He urged fish farmers operating on floodplains to harvest their stocks early to prevent losses.
He commended residents for their cooperation in recent years, which he said had significantly reduced the impact of flooding, and pledged the state government’s continued commitment to safeguarding lives and property.