Torrential rainfall has left several communities across Nigeria, Ghana and much of West Africa under water, with residents counting losses as floodwaters ravage homes, roads and businesses.
According to a BBC report, no fewer than 13 people have died in Ghana’s capital, Accra, after intense rain resulted in severe flooding.
The government has asked people to stay indoors or move to higher grounds.
According the BBC, “flooding in Accra is exacerbated by a poor drainage system, including clogged gutters and the construction of illegal structures on waterways”.
Ghana’s President John Mahama said the 140 millimetres of rainfall is the highest experienced in the country in several years.
“That aspect of the problem is beyond our control because it is driven by changing climatic conditions,” Mahama said on X.
Videos shared online showed residents stranded on rooftops and perched on fences as floodwaters swept through neighbourhoods, while some areas experienced power outages.
Similarly, persistent heavy rainfall has triggered flooding in parts of Lomé, Togo’s capital, affecting several communities as the downpour continues.
At least 12 people have died and five others sustained injuries in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire’s economic capital, following relentless rainfall.
Africa, despite contributing the least to global greenhouse gas emissions, remains among the regions most vulnerable to climate change.
The continent is experiencing increasingly frequent and intense extreme weather events, including floods, droughts, heatwaves and coastal erosion, with devastating consequences for livelihoods, food security and infrastructure.
Climate experts say adaptation finance is urgently needed to help African countries strengthen drainage systems, climate-proof infrastructure, improve early warning systems and build resilience among vulnerable communities.
However, efforts to scale up global adaptation support remain sluggish.
At the UN climate talks in Bonn earlier this month, negotiators were unable to conclude discussions on a new global adaptation finance framework, leaving critical issues unresolved ahead of the COP31 summit.
While African countries wanted concrete financial commitments of tripling adaptation finance, developed countries preferred to discuss metrics and reporting systems.
The slow pace of negotiations has raised concerns among developing countries, particularly African nations, which continue to demand increased and predictable funding for adaptation measures.
As floodwaters continue to rise across parts of West Africa, Europe is also battling extreme heat, with temperatures soaring above 40°C in several countries.
Without significant investments in climate adaptation and resilient infrastructure, extreme weather events could inflict even heavier social and economic costs on the continent.
Also, videos on social media show several streets across Nigerian cities transformed into rivers, with vehicles trapped in floodwaters and residents wading through waist-deep water to salvage belongings.
In Lagos, motorists were stranded for hours as major roads became impassable following intense downpour. Similar scenes were recorded in parts of Oyo, Ogun and Osun states, where flooded roads disrupted movement and commercial activities.
Some residents in Lagos who spoke to TheCable said they are yet to reopen their shops with floodwaters yet to recede.
Another resident, who identified himself as James, said his family had to raise their mattress throughout the night to prevent it from being soaked.
“We barely slept last night. My home was flooded, and we had to raise our mattress so it wouldn’t soak up water,” he said.
Lagos’ vulnerability to flooding is further exacerbated by rapid urbanisation, indiscriminate housing development and extensive land reclamation activities.
In many parts of the state, wetlands and natural floodplains that once absorbed excess rainwater have been replaced by residential estates, commercial buildings and infrastructure projects like the Lagos-Calabar Coastal road project.
The latest incidents have renewed concerns over Nigeria’s perennial flooding crisis despite repeated warnings by meteorological and hydrological agencies.
Earlier this year, the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet), in its 2026 Seasonal Climate Prediction (SCP), warned that many parts of the country would experience above-normal rainfall, prolonged rainy seasons and increased flood risks.
NiMet also cautioned that flash floods could occur in several southern states, including Lagos, Ogun, Oyo, Delta and Cross River.
Similarly, the federal government, through the Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency (NIHSA), warned in its 2026 annual flood outlook that 33 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) are at risk of flooding during the rainy season.
The outlook identified more than 14,000 communities across 266 local government areas as high-risk zones, with flooding expected to peak between July and September.
States such as Lagos, Ogun, Oyo, Osun, Abia, Cross River and Delta were listed among areas vulnerable to severe flooding.
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