Nigeria has entered the peak of its flood season, when the risk of severe flooding is at its highest. The Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency (NIHSA)’s 2026 Annual Flood Outlook warns that flooding could be comparable to 2025 or slightly more severe, with the greatest risks expected between July and September and another serious period possible between October and November.

For children, the danger extends far beyond flooded homes and roads. Floodwater can contaminate drinking-water sources, damage toilets and health facilities, interrupt nutrition and immunisation services, close schools and force families from their homes. It can also increase children’s exposure to drowning, injury, cholera, diarrhoea, malaria, malnutrition and family separation.