Reported by Ariajegbe Sylvia Esezobor
Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq has donated N10 million to residents of Pututa community in Lafiagi, Edu Local Government Area, following flooding that submerged parts of the community, destroying homes and leaving families to count their losses. The intervention was announced by the state government on Wednesday, October 1, 2026, a day after heavy rainfall and flooding swept through the community, affecting homes and other parts of Pututa.
The donation, disclosed in a post on the state government's official Facebook page, was described as part of the administration's immediate response to the disaster. "Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq has donated N10 million to Pututa community in Lafiagi, Edu Local Government Area, as part of the state government's immediate response to the flood disaster that submerged parts of the community," the post read. "The donation is a support to residents affected by the natural disaster." The announcement was accompanied by footage showing floodwater covering parts of Pututa, with some buildings submerged by the rising water. AbdulRazaq also visited communities affected by the flooding and was received at the palace of the Emir of Lafiagi, Alhaji Muhammad Kudu Kawu, according to a video released by the state government.
The flooding in Pututa is not an isolated incident. Edu Local Government Area has been identified by the National Emergency Management Agency as one of five local government areas in Kwara State at high risk of flooding in 2026, alongside Baruten, Kaiama, Moro and Patigi. The warning, issued in July 2026, placed the state on alert ahead of the peak of the rainy season. The community has also endured recurrent flooding over the years, a pattern the Emir of Lafiagi attributed in 2023 to the dredging of the Niger River, which flows close to the community and has altered the natural drainage patterns in the area.
The latest intervention is not the first time AbdulRazaq has responded to flooding in Lafiagi. In June 2023, the Governor inspected flooded areas at Lafiagi and reassured victims of his administration's continued support. On that occasion, the Deputy Governor, Mr Kayode Alabi, represented him at the palace of the Emir of Lafiagi during a visit to the flooded agrarian community of Pututa village and Gwa bridge, where farmers lost farm investments worth millions of naira. The Emir commended the Governor for responding in less than 24 hours to their distress call. The recurring nature of the disaster has made flooding a persistent challenge for a community that is a strong agrarian hub in the state.
The Governor's latest donation also comes amid broader state and federal efforts to mitigate the impact of flooding across Kwara State. In July 2026, the National Hydroelectric Power Producing Areas Development Commission distributed relief materials, farm inputs and cash totaling N10 million to flood victims in Edu and Patigi Local Government Areas, alongside herbicides, pesticides, fertilisers and power tillers to farmers across its five member local government areas in the state. The commission also distributed life jackets and educational materials during a flood sensitisation campaign, urging residents to take official warnings seriously and avoid practices such as blocking drainage channels and indiscriminate waste disposal. The Kwara State Government complemented the intervention by providing hybrid maize seeds to boost production. In August 2026, the commission announced a further N100 million intervention for farmers affected by dry-season disasters, and in September, it flagged off N212 million in erosion control projects in the state.
The flooding situation in Kwara reflects a wider national challenge. The Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency issued a high flood-risk alert across fifteen states in September 2026, warning of rising river levels and possible riverine flooding. NEMA placed its zonal directorates and operations offices on red alert and activated its National Emergency Operations Centre to coordinate response efforts. The agency identified more than 8,000 communities and 4,500 schools at risk across the affected states. In Kwara, the five high-risk local government areas include Edu and Patigi, both of which have experienced repeated flooding in recent years.
For the residents of Pututa, the Governor's donation represents immediate relief, but the extent of damage to property and other losses has yet to be officially disclosed. The community will now wait to see whether the funds reach those most affected and whether the broader challenges of drainage, dredging and flood prevention are addressed. The Emir of Lafiagi has consistently drawn attention to the connection between the dredging of the Niger River and the recurrent flooding, a concern that successive state governments have acknowledged but that remains unresolved.
The political context of the donation is also significant. The 2027 general elections are less than four months away, with the presidential and National Assembly elections scheduled for January 16, and the governorship and state assembly elections for February 6. AbdulRazaq, who is serving his second term and is ineligible to seek re-election as governor, remains a key political figure in the state and a supporter of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu's re-election bid. His swift response to the Pututa flooding aligns with his administration's stated commitment to supporting communities affected by natural disasters, and it places the welfare of flood victims at the centre of the state's governance agenda as the political season intensifies. For now, the people of Pututa have received both the Governor's visit and his financial support, and the coming weeks will determine whether the promised assistance reaches the families whose homes were lost to the rising water.
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