Residents of several communities in Osun State are facing hardship following widespread flooding triggered by days of heavy rainfall, with homes, businesses, roads and farmlands affected.

In Osogbo, the state capital, communities including Ijetu, Isale Osun, Oke Osun, Gbodofon, Ogo-Oluwa, Oke-Arungbo and Baruwa have recorded significant flooding. More than 1,000 households were reportedly displaced, while hundreds of buildings were affected.

Residents in some affected areas have been forced to evacuate their homes and move their belongings to safer locations. Several buildings, including residential houses, schools, hotels and business premises, were reportedly affected by the rising water.

In Ijetu, residents said properties worth millions of naira had been lost, while some communities appealed for urgent intervention, including the clearing and dredging of waterways.

The flooding has also affected communities outside Osogbo. In Alamo area of Edunabon, residents have also been affected by the rising floodwaters, with concerns over damage to homes, properties and access routes.

In Atakumosa East Local Government Area, the Ilesa-Ijaregbe link road was reportedly washed away after a culvert collapsed, disrupting movement between the communities.

Reacting to the situation, Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, directed the state’s Special Task Force on Environmental Sanitation to assess affected communities and prepare a response plan. He also urged residents to stop dumping refuse into waterways and avoid building on natural water channels and flood-prone corridors.

The state government has subsequently issued broader flood-management directives, including assessments of affected communities, emergency assistance for victims, inspection of damaged infrastructure and the clearance of critical waterways and drainage channels.

The recent flooding has renewed calls from affected residents for immediate relief and longer-term measures to reduce the risk of future flooding across vulnerable communities in Osun State.