OSOGBO, Nigeria. More than 1,000 households have been displaced by severe flooding across parts of Osun State after days of heavy rainfall sent water into homes, schools, hotels and businesses, leaving families scrambling to rescue belongings and find temporary shelter.
Some of the worst affected areas are in Osogbo, the state capital, including Gbodofon, Ogo Oluwa, Omigade, Ijetu, Oke Arungbo, Baruwa and Isale Osun. More than 700 buildings near the Osun River in Ijetu, Isale Osun and Oke Osun were reported affected, while residents in several other neighbourhoods also faced rising water and blocked roads.
In Ogo Oluwa, about 70 buildings were affected and at least five had collapsed by Wednesday. Residents whose homes remained dry opened their doors to neighbours who had nowhere else to go, while other families moved furniture, clothing and household goods to safer areas as floodwater continued to rise.
Alhaji Teslim Olasunkanmi, a homeowner in Ijetu, said residents had counted more than 500 affected buildings in their community and estimated that property worth millions of naira had been lost since the flooding began on Monday. He appealed for urgent work to clear sections of the Osun River that residents believe are obstructing the flow of water.
For some families, there was little time to save anything. Dr. Adeolu Adeyemo, whose home in the Oke Arungbo area was flooded, said about 200 residents in his neighbourhood had been displaced. Another resident, Adesola Kayode, called for urgent dredging of rivers and waterways, saying families needed more than temporary assistance if similar flooding was to be prevented.
Akeem Gbadegesin, secretary of the Aroko Island Community in Ogo Oluwa, said neighbours were arranging temporary accommodation for displaced residents. He said the water remained high even after rainfall had stopped on Wednesday, adding to residents’ anxiety about when they would be able to return home.
Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke has directed an environmental sanitation task force to visit affected communities and prepare a response plan. He said weeks of unusually heavy rainfall had placed additional pressure on drainage channels and waterways and promised further government intervention where necessary.
The government has also urged residents to stop dumping refuse into drains and to avoid building on waterways and other flood prone corridors. Environment Commissioner Mayowa Adejoorin said town planning authorities should stop approving construction close to riverbanks, arguing that blocked waterways and development in vulnerable areas can worsen the impact of heavy rainfall.
The flooding was not entirely unexpected. In May, the Osun State Government warned that intense rainfall could produce flash floods, erosion, structural damage and disruption in communities with poor drainage or homes near rivers. Emergency agencies were placed on alert, while residents were advised to clear drains and avoid flooded roads.
Residents now face the difficult task of cleaning damaged homes and replacing furniture, school materials, stock and other belongings. For families already dealing with high food, transport and housing costs, rebuilding after the flood could take months. Community leaders are calling for immediate relief, temporary accommodation and longer term drainage and river management measures before another period of heavy rain brings the same neighbourhoods under water again.
