SPECIAL REPORT… Flooded, forgotten, and devastated by malaria: Niger communities still suffer despite billions released

Despite billions of naira allocated for flood control and malaria prevention in Niger State, residents of riverine communities continue to live with flooded homes, recurring displacement, and preventable diseases. In this report, ABDULRASHEED HAMMAD exposes the lived reality of Sunti and Lwafu communities, where annual floods have turned malaria into a regular threat, healthcare remains largely inaccessible, and government interventions are scarcely felt, raising serious questions about where public funds have gone and why relief has failed to reach those who need it most. 

At every dawn in Sunti village in Niger State, north-central Nigeria, 45-year-old Maryam Ibrahim, with five children, usually begins her day by inspecting the children’s bodies. She is not checking for rashes or injuries on their bodies but for the angry welts and streaks of dried blood left behind by mosquitoes that feed on them through the night.

“When morning comes, you would see the children’s bodies swollen and bloodied from the mosquito bites,” she said, adding that they are always falling sick with malaria. 

For Maryam and her family, seeking treatment is a dangerous undertaking. There is no health facility in Sunti. Each time her children develop a fever, headaches, or body pains, her husband must ferry them across the river in a wooden boat to

reach the nearest primary healthcare centre. This journey becomes even riskier during the rainy season.

“They are always hot, weak, and crying. “But if we don’t cross the river, there is no treatment,” she said. 

Even after reaching the facility, help is not guaranteed. The primary healthcare centre they rely on is poorly equipped, frequently short of medicines, and lacks basic medical supplies. 

This is the fate of thousands of people living in Sunti and Lwafu, two remote communities along the riverbanks of Niger State, who have been experiencing

flood disasters for over a decade, pushing them into displacement, poverty, and a continuing fight with malaria borne from mosquito bites. 

Each rainy season brings displacement, loss of livelihoods, and a persistent battle with malaria fuelled by stagnant floodwaters and limited access to healthcare. 

Deadly Floods Displace Thousands 

On May 28–29, 2025, the heavy flooding caused by rainfall in Mokwa Local Government Area (LGA) of Niger State claimed the lives of 151 people and forced several thousand from their homes. Five hundred households were impacted, and more than 3,000 people were displaced.

Nigeria accounts for 31 percent of global malaria deaths and 27 percent of total cases worldwide, according to the World Malaria Report 2024. The country also accounted for nearly 40% of worldwide malaria deaths among children under five. About 55 million cases of malaria and 90,000 malaria-related deaths occur in the country every year. Health experts warn that flooding significantly worsens malaria transmission. Pools of stagnant water left behind after floods provide ideal breeding grounds for Anopheles mosquitoes, while displacement forces families into overcrowded shelters with little protection against bites.

Flooding is a major driver of malaria risk in Nigeria. A Cross River State study among residents of flood-affected communities found that 86.5% of respondents agreed that floods exacerbated malaria risk due to stagnant water and polluted conditions.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) says severe flooding in Nigeria affected more than 610,000 people, displaced more than 225,000, with 201 deaths reported in 15 of the country’s 36 states. About 115,000 hectares of farmland were inundated, and health infrastructure was damaged, raising the risk of malaria and other infectious diseases because of stagnant water and crowded living conditions after displacement. 

Medical charity MSF found very high malaria rates in flood‑affected Taraba and Adamawa states, where standing water became mosquito breeding sites, and local clinics struggled to cope with increased caseloads. 

On July 27, 2025, flash floods in Nigeria’s Adamawa State also killed at least 23 people and left thousands homeless, while 11 people were still missing.

Nigeria is prone to flooding during the rainy seasons, which began in April. In 2022, the country’s worst wave of floods in more than a decade killed more than 600 people, displaced around 1.4 million, and destroyed 440,000 hectares (1.09 million acres) of farmland. 

Yahaya Yusuf, the village head of Sunti, lamented how they usually face a series of challenges during the rainy season, ranging from losing homes, food, animals, and farmlands, making the whole community flooded.

“During these times, we are often traumatised by the ill health of children caused by malaria, while some children have diarrhoea. Before we could access roads to get to hospitals, it was often an issue. We are often worried during these times. We need to access and equip hospitals for the betterment of our health.” 

He disclosed disturbing information that the community has been consistently facing perennial flooding for the past 15 years, and up till the time of this report, nothing has been done because water continues to flow excessively from the dam, flooding their houses and causing malaria. 

“When it submerged our houses, we relocated to safer areas, then returned after it dried. The urgent need now is a health center, as we use a boat to the nearest community to treat our children and ourselves when sick with malaria. If the government can dig the river to stop flooding instead of focusing too much on relief materials for flood victims, it would put an end to the recurring flood the community is battling with,” he suggested. 

In Lwafu community, Zakari Mohammed, 67, a farmer in Lwafu, explained that when the flood came, they helplessly watched the water take away their properties and used wooden boats to transport their families to healthcare centers. Mohammed has never done a malaria test because he doesn’t believe in western medication but relies on local herbs, adding that he doesn’t even use mosquito nets.

Every year, floods come, as it has been a recurring incident in Lwafu for 10 years now. All the houses along the roads were destroyed, including the primary school in the village. When the flood comes and residents are affected, nobody comes to check on them or equip their health centres with drugs. 

Since they have no health specialists within their community, when cases are beyond them, they use a canoe to paddle patients to a nearby village and transport them to Mokwa. “If it happens next year during the rainy season, you will see our plight,” he added. 

Floods paralysed his daughter; Malaria hunts the community 

“The last flood caused catastrophic damage to my little daughter. During the 2021 flood, her tongue was affected and her hands and legs became paralysed. We could not leave the community in time, and the flood did its worst,” said Umar Idris Sunti, a 50-year-old fisherman with four wives and 20 children.

Flooding has been part of life in Sunti since Idris was born, but it only became a yearly disaster about 13 years ago, displacing residents without alternatives and forcing them to battle malaria season after season. Today, the sound of rainfall alone keeps residents awake at night, gripped by fear of disease outbreaks that follow every flood. 

“My house was completely destroyed. I used nylon to cover what was left. We were displaced, and I have not been able to rebuild since the last flood,” Idris noted. “The mosquito nets shared were not enough. I have only one net for my entire family, and some families have none.”

He added that without the intervention of female community health workers, who often treat children during outbreaks, the situation would have been far worse. 

For Fatima Adamu, a 28-year-old mother of four, the scale of suffering is difficult to fully capture. “If I start talking about what we have faced because of floods, you and your fixer would not leave this community,” she said.

She explained that when floodwaters enter their homes, families sleep outside on wooden benches because no one can remain in a flooded room, leaving them exposed to mosquitoes. When children fall ill, they are transported by wooden boats to the nearest health facility. Flooding also disrupts education, as school buildings are often submerged. 

“All four of my children became sick with malaria. We had to use a boat to rescue them,” she said, adding that this hardship repeats itself every year. 

Mohammed Zhitu Yanda, a 45-year-old farmer, said Sunti was once a thriving fishing community before floods became an annual disaster. For the past 12 years, flooding has destroyed homes, farmlands, and fishing equipment. 

“If you divide this community into three, two parts are usually swallowed by water,” he explained. During floods, residents move only by boat, checking what

remains of their homes. Although deaths are rare because many villagers can swim, the health consequences are severe. 

“The water causes malaria, diarrhoea, and vomiting, especially among children,” Mohammed said. Accessing healthcare becomes nearly impossible, forcing many families to rely on self-medication. “Taking a sick child out of the community during flooding is a big problem. Sometimes, the only service we receive is immunisation.” 

He noted that a female health worker visits homes during flood season to warn residents about polluted water and encourage the use of mosquito nets. However, the nets distributed by the government are insufficient, leaving the community “too exposed to malaria.” 

With livelihoods destroyed and little visible government support, many households have fallen into poverty. As another rainy season approaches, residents are preparing for yet another cycle of flooding and malaria outbreaks, a crisis that has become a ritual in their lives. 

Mohammed appealed to the government to prioritise flood control and standard healthcare in the community, warning that without urgent intervention, more families would be pushed deeper into hardship. 

Women and children appear to suffer most when floods strike 

Hauwa Usman, 28, with five children, explained how her daughter, Aisha Usman, and her son, Abubakar, were infected with malaria when the community was flooded. They left their house to find a place to stay without mosquito nets, and they couldn’t go anywhere because of fear of water.

“At night, they always complained of mosquito bites, but during the day, they started showing symptoms like fever, shivering, body pains, and general weakness. Once I notice that, they are always rushed to Kusogi’s health centre for treatment by boat,” she said. 

Fatima Idris, 32, with 10 children, explained that every time the flood comes, they run up and down to move their properties to safer areas, noting that they use a boat to reach the primary health care center. When drivers drop them off, they call commercial motorcycles to take them to the hospital for treatment, but most times they go to Mokwa as drugs are often not enough.

“One of my children, Fatima, was seriously sick and affected by malaria. By midnight, she would call me and her body would be hot. We had to use a boat to take them to the hospital in the nearby village for treatment. 

“They also missed school because there is no road for them to access. They all sleep under mosquito nets as the area is full of mosquitoes during flooding. We used a boat, and later, the three others also fell sick with malaria and had to visit nearby health centres.” 

Mahmud Isah, a 35-year-old POS operator in Lwafu, said flooding has become an annual occurrence in his community for the past 12 years, compared to once every four years in the past, and that government supports such as mosquito nets, duvets, and mattresses stopped around the same period. He noted that blocked waterways worsen flooding by forcing water into homes, while the poorly equipped Primary Healthcare Centre pushes residents to seek treatment at Mokwa Hospital, especially during flood-related malaria outbreaks that recently

displaced many people, including himself, as he spent three days receiving treatment for malaria at the PHC. 

Hassana Isyaku, 40, a housewife, shockingly revealed that they often sleep inside water when the community is flooded and leave their rooms completely submerged. She lamented how her children fell sick several times, recalling how they used a boat to rush one of her daughters to a primary health care center in the community.

“We covered them (children) with mosquito nets and also applied insecticides, but I can’t explain how they still get affected by malaria. They miss school as the whole area is floodplain in Lwafu. They complain during the day about mosquito nets, which is why we put them on at night. I also use a canoe to access health care for injections and medicines for myself,” she noted. 

Salihu Husseini, 45, a community health worker in Lwafu, noted that when residents displaced by floods occupy the same room, it increases the risk of malaria, urging the government to intervene by providing malaria drugs to curb the disease. 

“We have a shortage of drugs. During floods, it becomes difficult for us to even buy medicines; we cannot go outside until we use a canoe. The flood ravages everything here,” Husseini lamented.

Vulnerable populations also bear the brunt 

People with disabilities, nursing mothers, and the elderly are not spared from the combined effects of flooding and malaria. 

Abubakar Sadiq, 64, a man with mobility challenges, described the difficulty he faces. His house was completely flooded, and he cannot walk without assistance from his children. He is trapped in his house, and the school nearby was also destroyed by the flood.

“We have no roof to sleep under. I always have to sleep under a mosquito net in the open during these times. I once fell into water and had to spend months in a hospital in Bida. To go to the toilet, I have to be led by a child. I have blood pressure, and when walking, I don’t know where to step during floods, as fear always covers me. Nobody has come to help me since this tragic event began,” he cried out. 

Billions released, yet communities remain vulnerable to deadly disease 

Lwafu and Sunti communities continue to battle devastating floods and recurring malaria outbreaks despite the huge sums the Niger State Government claimed to have released for malaria control, erosion, and flood management. According to the state’s 2024 budget performance report, ₦3.26 billion was earmarked for erosion and flood control, of which ₦2.2 billion was claimed to have been released. In the same year, the state also disbursed ₦13 billion in ecological funds meant to address environmental challenges such as erosion and flooding. 

In 2025, the state government approved ₦860 million for malaria control through immunisation and claimed to have disbursed ₦800 million of that amount. It also claimed to release ₦3.98 billion for erosion and flood control. Additionally, ₦50 billion was approved as ecological funds for the year, although no funds were released.

However, despite these substantial allocations and disbursements, residents say there is little evidence of impact on the ground, as flooding and malaria continue to devastate Lwafu, Sunti, and many other communities in Niger State year after year. 

Experts link flooding to rising malaria cases 

Dr Emmanuel Agogo, a public health expert and Steering Chair for the Commission (HEC) at the Nigerian Environmental Summit Group (NESUG) explained that flooding increases malaria transmission by creating stagnant water that supports mosquito breeding. 

He said malaria is transmitted by Anopheles mosquitoes, which breed in stagnant water. After floods, water often has nowhere to drain and remains in pools, creating ideal breeding sites for mosquitoes. As mosquito populations increase, the risk of malaria transmission rises in surrounding communities.

According to him, stagnant water supports different mosquito species, including Anopheles and Culex, which transmit various vector-borne diseases. While malaria is caused by Plasmodium parasites, mainly Plasmodium falciparum in Nigeria, other mosquito-borne viral infections such as dengue can appear with similar symptoms and are sometimes misdiagnosed as malaria. 

Dr Agogo noted that flooding also increases malaria risk through population displacement. He said displaced people often live in overcrowded conditions without insecticide-treated nets or adequate shelter, increasing exposure to mosquito bites. Disruption of routine health services further worsens the situation. 

He added that displaced populations experience high levels of stress, poor nutrition, and weakened immunity, making them more susceptible to malaria infection and severe complications. While people in malaria-endemic regions may carry parasites without symptoms, weakened immunity increases the likelihood of illness and complications. 

He identified the most vulnerable groups as children under five, pregnant women, the elderly, people with sickle cell disease, and individuals with compromised immune systems such as those living with HIV. Children are at higher risk due to immature immune systems, while pregnant women are more vulnerable because pregnancy naturally suppresses immunity and increases the risk of anaemia. Older people are also more susceptible due to declining immunity and chronic health conditions. 

Dr Agogo said flooding in Nigeria is driven by several factors, including population growth, construction on floodplains, river siltation, lack of dredging, and climate change. He explained that major rivers such as the Niger and Benue have become heavily silted, reducing their capacity to contain water during heavy rainfall. Without dredging, excess rainfall leads to overflow and flooding. 

He also pointed to climate change, which has altered rainfall patterns, increasing rainfall intensity in some areas while reducing it in others, thereby worsening flood risks. 

On solutions, Dr Agogo said government response should focus on preparedness and risk assessment. He said authorities already know flood-prone areas and should restrict settlement in such locations, provide alternative housing, and strengthen drainage systems. He also recommended dredging rivers, constructing dams to regulate water flow, and improving flood-control infrastructure.

He said during flood events, interventions should include larvicidal spraying to destroy mosquito larvae, distribution of malaria medicines and diagnostic kits, and deployment of mobile health services. He added that pregnant women and young children should receive malaria prophylaxis where appropriate. 

Dr Agogo noted that Nigeria is piloting malaria vaccines and said flood-prone communities with recurrent outbreaks should be prioritised for vaccination. 

He stressed the need for a One Health approach, which integrates human health, environmental management, and other ecological factors. According to him, addressing malaria requires more than treatment alone and must include environmental control, land-use planning, and early identification of risk factors. 

Beyond malaria, he said flooding increases the risk of other diseases, including faecal–oral infections such as cholera, dysentery, and other diarrhoeal diseases caused by contaminated water and poor sanitation. Flooding also increases waterborne and mosquito-borne viral infections, as well as skin, fungal, and overcrowding-related infections. 

He warned that without effective flood management, communities will continue to face repeated health emergencies with wide-ranging consequences. 

Dr. Adamu Ishaku Akyala, Director of the Global Health and Infectious Disease Control Institute at Nasarawa State University, Keffi, explained that flooding significantly increases malaria transmission because stagnant water left behind after floods creates ideal breeding grounds for Anopheles mosquitoes, the vectors of malaria. 

He noted that floods also destroy homes and force residents into temporary shelters without adequate mosquito protection, increasing exposure. In addition, flooding disrupts routine healthcare services and vector-control measures, further compounding the risk and often leading to spikes in malaria cases during and after flood events. 

According to Dr. Ishaku, the major causes of flooding in Nigeria include heavy rainfall and river overflows, particularly from rivers such as the Niger and Benue, poor drainage systems blocked by waste or silt, climate change which has increased the intensity and frequency of rainstorms and unplanned urban development in floodplains and low-lying areas. 

He said community-level prevention measures should include regular clearing of drains and waterways, avoiding construction on floodplains and riverbanks,

planting trees, conserving wetlands to absorb excess water, and establishing early-warning systems to alert residents ahead of floods. 

Dr. Ishaku explained that children, the elderly, and people with disabilities are more vulnerable to malaria during flooding. Children have immature immune systems that make them less able to fight malaria infections, often resulting in severe illness. The elderly are at higher risk due to weakened immunity and underlying health conditions, which can slow recovery and increase complications. People with disabilities are particularly exposed because mobility challenges limit their ability to avoid mosquito bites or access healthcare promptly, especially in communities such as Lwafu and Sunti, where residents must cross rivers to reach health facilities. 

Floods can also trigger a wide range of other health problems. These include waterborne diseases such as cholera, typhoid, and diarrhoeal infections caused by contaminated drinking water; vector-borne diseases such as dengue and yellow fever linked to increased mosquito breeding; skin and eye infections from prolonged contact with polluted water; and mental health and nutrition challenges, including stress, anxiety, and malnutrition, particularly among displaced populations. 

Dr. Ishaku advised that families can reduce their risk of malaria during flooding by sleeping under insecticide-treated mosquito nets, eliminating stagnant water around their homes, using mosquito repellents and protective clothing, keeping their surroundings clean, and seeking prompt medical care when symptoms appear. 

However, he stressed that government action is equally critical. He urged state and federal authorities to strengthen malaria control through wider net distribution, indoor residual spraying, pre-positioning malaria medicines and diagnostic kits, deploying mobile clinics, conducting community health education, and improving disease surveillance in flood-prone areas. 

To address the root causes, Dr. Ishaku emphasised the need for long-term flood-control strategies, including investment in flood-resilient infrastructure, enforcement of land-use regulations, reforestation and wetland restoration, and effective early-warning and disaster-preparedness systems. 

Which Law is Serving as a Barrier to Health Services? 

Under Nigeria’s 1999 Constitution (as amended), the state is mandated to provide for the welfare and health of its citizens. Section 17(3)(c) of the Constitution states that the government shall direct its policy towards ensuring

that “the health, safety and welfare of all persons in employment are safeguarded and not endangered,” while Section 16 also places responsibility on the state to provide adequate social services. However, these provisions fall under Chapter II of the Constitution, known as the Fundamental Objectives and Directive Principles of State Policy, which are rendered non-justiciable by Section 6(6)(c). This section explicitly prevents citizens from enforcing these obligations in court, meaning Nigerians cannot sue the government for failing to provide adequate healthcare or social services. This constitutional limitation allows governments at both state and federal levels to neglect healthcare delivery without legal consequences, leaving vulnerable communities such as flood-prone areas and malaria in Niger State without effective remedies when public health systems fail. 

All efforts to speak with the newly appointed Commissioner for Health of Niger State, Dr Murtala Bagana, proved abortive, as several calls put across to him on 15 and 17 December 2025 were ignored. Messages sent to him via WhatsApp and text messages on 15 and 17 December were also not responded to. 

The Public Relations Officer of the Ministry of Health, Muhammad Sani Abubakar, told this reporter to reach out to the state malaria focal person, Mrs. Amina Zimro, as she was the appropriate person to respond to the questions. However, when this reporter contacted her, she said she could not comment and hung up the call. He later connected this reporter with the Director of Public Health in Niger State. 

Dr Ibrahim Idris, the Director of Public Health in Niger State, explained that floods are not the only cause of malaria in the state and that it is entirely inaccurate to say the government has done nothing about floods. He noted that during the last floods in the state, the government responded and took significant action. 

Idris said he was not aware of evidence showing that floods directly caused malaria, citing reports from surveillance officers monitoring malaria across local government areas, and added that malaria exists in all communities. However, when this reporter pointed out expert opinions indicating that floods can contribute to and worsen malaria through stagnant water that supports mosquitoes breeding, he acknowledged that communities affected by floods cannot entirely escape malaria. He said this is why diagnostic test kits and other interventions are deployed in primary healthcare centres. 

He added that malaria prevalence in Niger State has significantly reduced, although World Health Organization data estimate the prevalence at 42.6 % based on rapid diagnostic tests.

“The state government, federal government, and partners are doing a lot. We recently completed a campaign where 3.2 million insecticide-treated mosquito nets were distributed free of charge across the state. In our PHCs, malaria test kits and drugs are available. Anyone with symptoms is tested first before treatment,” Idris said. 

When asked if the community health workers in the two communities complained about drug shortages and the challenges of crossing rivers in wooden boats to access healthcare, he replied that there were occasional shortages but not a complete lack of drugs. He noted that once it is reported to them, the state can supply trucks of drugs to affected healthcare centres. 

When asked how billions of naira Niger State claimed to have spent on flood and malaria interventions had not visibly reached Lwafu and Sunti communities, Idris said there are over 3,000 communities like them, and it is not possible for released funds to reach all villages at once. He noted that while the government is not claiming to have completed the work, progress is being made to reach most communities in riverine areas, and affected communities will be reached soon. 

“The money released may not reach all 3,000 communities at once, but no community is being deliberately neglected. The government has started implementing interventions and is making progress. We are hopeful that more communities will be reached soon. Support from the federal government is also ongoing, and several flood-control activities are currently underway. 

“Apart from releasing funds, the state government is also collaborating with the Federal Government of Nigeria, which is providing additional support for flood-control interventions. These funds are being translated into concrete flood-management activities, and several such interventions are currently ongoing,” Idris said.