Across West Africa, flooding is no longer just an environmental crisis, it is becoming a growing business risk.

As climate change worsens, the overflow of water onto land disrupts supply chains, forces businesses to close, consequently reshaping how businesses operate in the region. Africa contributes less to global warming, but the impacts of climate change, such as flooding, are greatly felt on the continent.

According to Global Carbon Budgets 2022 published by AJLabs, Africa contributes just four percent of global carbon emissions, but out of the 10 countries most vulnerable to climate disasters, seven are in Africa.

From Nigeria to Ghana, Ivory Coast to Benin Republic, flooding has recently wreaked havoc in the West African region, causing structural and economic damages. Shops closed in no time, transporters hiked transport fares, and many commuters who were racing to their various destinations were stranded when floodwaters took over major cities in Nigeria in July.

The Nigerian Meteorological Agency had earlier issued a probable flash-flood risk alert between July 1 and July 10, 2026, stating that intensified rainfall at the onset of the peak rainy season could trigger flash flooding across 27 states.

NiMet warned that the anticipated heavy rainfall could lead to localised flash floods, particularly in flood-prone communities and densely populated urban areas. Since the beginning of the month, residents in Africa’s most populous country have counted losses. Homes and properties were ravaged and business owners battled for survival amid the intensifying rains.

BusinessDay reported that the hard-hit states included Lagos, Kogi, Plateau, Osun, Ondo, Ekiti, Edo, Abia, Imo, Anambra, Enugu, Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Rivers and Bayelsa, mostly coastal areas and a few northern regions where river tributaries or dams experienced overflow.

In Lagos, the commercial nerve centre, recurrent overnight rainfall, which lasted three to four days, submerged major roads and houses in areas like Lagos Island, Lekki, Alimosho, Surulere, Mushin and Iwaya, disrupting transport businesses and leaving many residents stranded.

“We could not go out. Children could not go to school and I was not even thinking of going to open my shop for the rest of the week,” Mary Abraham, who lives in the Lekki area, told Tribune libre de l'Afrique. “My husband has a fish pond, but it has been flooded and many of the fishes were swept away,” she added.

In Akwa Ibom, persistent rainfall submerged most of the state capital, Uyo, forcing the state government to issue a statement.

In Kogi State, rainstorms ripped through communities like Ega Eriga in Lokoja, ripping off roofs and destroying over 40 houses, leaving dozens of families temporarily without shelter, the Business Day report added, highlighting major challenges faced by households and businesses in the affected regions.

Ghana

Reports emerged in Ghana on June 30, 2026, that flooding did not only destroy properties but also claimed lives as the country recorded more than 140 mm of rainfall within a 24-hour period.

Entire buildings and roads were submerged in Ghana’s capital, Accra, on one of the flooded days, cutting off access to several areas of the city, according to the BBC. Thirteen people were also confirmed dead, and videos showed residents swimming in neck-deep water to rescue trapped neighbours, while vehicles were abandoned on flooded roads.

The government urged people to stay indoors or move to higher ground, as the meteorological agency warned that further rainfall was expected, even as a major storm approached from the east. Emergency response teams, including personnel from the police, fire service, the military and the National Disaster Management Organisation, were deployed to the flood-affected areas, but the response did not salvage sinking shops and service centres.

“Stay indoors if you are in a safe location,” the president’s office said in a statement.

“Do not attempt to cross flooded roads, whether on foot or in a vehicle. If your home is being inundated, move immediately to higher ground and call 112 for emergency assistance,” it added as the rainwaters paralyzed economic activities.

Benin, Togo, Côte d’Ivoire

In the Republic of Benin, a two-day torrential rainfall whipped the capital, Cotonou. Roads were submerged, with 141 mm of rainfall recorded near one of the main access routes to the city.

“Really, this is impossible. I’ve been stuck here for more than two hours. I’m a chauffeur and this is very bad for my earnings,” one driver told RFI.

According to RFI, in Côte d’Ivoire, authorities confirmed that at least 12 people were killed and five others injured after severe flooding struck Abidjan following days of intense rainfall.

The agriculture and transport sectors were also hit hard. The mango sector, the country’s leading fruit export industry, was said to have escaped the worst of the damage, according to Yeo Namoukatiene Siaka, President of the mango industry’s coordinating body and a tropical fruit exporter.

Speaking in a report published by Fresh Plaza, Siaka said, “Mangoes are grown in the north of the country, where the floods have had no real impact. It is only in the south of Côte d’Ivoire that pineapple and banana growers have been affected.”

He noted that a complete assessment of the damage in the south had yet to emerge.

“For pineapples, bananas, and other tropical fruits in the south, we don’t have an estimate yet, but they have certainly been affected,” he said in the report published by Fresh Plaza on July 24, 2026.

According to Siaka, the impact of the floods has been felt across both production and the supply chains.

“The main impact is on logistics and infrastructure: roads are cut off, making harvesting difficult. The floods occurred in key growing regions, affecting production as well.”

Asked what the sector needs most urgently, Siaka pointed to both compensation and rebuilding.

“We need emergency measures: support for growers to cover their losses, and the restoration of critical infrastructure, including repairing roads and rebuilding local fresh produce markets in affected urban areas.”

In Togo, persistent rainfall in July also submerged several communities in the capital, Lomé, disrupting transportation and forcing residents from their homes.

The International Charter: Space and Major Disasters which provides Earth-observation satellite data, detailed the Togo flooding experience from the transport disruption perspective.

According to the body, the heavy overnight rains from Sunday, June 28, into Monday, June 29, 2026 triggered flooding across multiple neighborhoods in Lomé.

The organisation stated that residents reported rainfall beginning around 3:00 a.m. and continuing heavily through the morning, overwhelming drainage systems and leaving streets submerged.

“Roads were flooded, causing major traffic congestion and transport disruption in and around Lomé. There were also electricity interruptions in some affected areas. Low‑lying communities are monitoring rising water levels amid fears of further flooding.”

It added that electricity disruptions and submerged roads prompted emergency crews to clear blocked routes and assist stranded residents in Lomé.

Impact on the economy

The transport sector has been severely hit, based on reports, followed by housing, agriculture, energy and construction, among others.

From Nigeria to Ghana, Togo and other parts of West Africa, transportation is nearly impossible after roads were submerged by floods.

The Chief Executive Officer of the Centre for the Promotion of Private Enterprise (CPPE) in Nigeria, Muda Yusuf, said in a report published by The Guardian that the flooding severely disrupted economic activities in Lagos.

He estimated the Lagos economy at about N200 billion daily and projected that the flooding could result in economic losses of between N50 billion and N100 billion in a single day, not even considering the cost of damage caused by the flooding itself.

“We are also seeing losses to businesses, agricultural produce, livestock, poultry and fish. At the end of the day, the economic losses could be close to an estimated N500 billion,” he said.

Beyond transport, the flooding disrupted electricity supply in Ghana as the Ghana Grid Company Limited and the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) temporarily shut down power to several affected parts of the capital.

In a joint statement in July, the companies explained that the outage was a safety precaution.

“The shutdown was necessary because the flooding affected power infrastructure at multiple substations, posing significant risks to both electrical equipment and operational personnel,” the statement, quoted by Arise TV, said.

The floods also triggered a major fire at a rubber factory in Accra leaving devastating impacts on facilities and infrastructure.

Are businesses adapting?

There are limited reports on how businesses are adapting to the flooding menace in the West African region, but industry players are becoming more cautious as many avoid investments that are prone to flooding risks.

The Guardian learnt that many affected homeowners would face costly repairs to damaged foundations, walls, electrical systems, plumbing, roofs and interior finishes.

It noted that those without insurance or adequate savings may struggle to restore their properties, forcing some to sell below market value. Others may default on mortgage repayments or construction loans as the financial burden increases.

The report also highlighted that developers with unsold housing estates in flood-prone locations could face declining demand as prospective buyers become increasingly cautious.

Our reporter also gathered that stakeholders in the town planning sector have continued to warn against building on floodplains, while real estate players say tenants are now very cautious before renting apartments in the Lagos Island area.

Ayoyinka Oni, a tenant in the Lekki area where houses are often flooded, said tenants who stay in the upper sections of buildings pay more, while those who stay downstairs pay less.

“If you want to rent a house in Lekki and they tell you the upstairs is N900,000 and the downstairs is N700,000. Immediately you hear that, you should know something is wrong, because you will know the difference of that N200,000 when flooding comes during the rainy season,” Oni told Tribune libre de l'Afrique.

Government responses

Governments appear overwhelmed as they blame climate change, but they have restated commitments to taking decisive steps to tackle the menace.

Reacting to the flooding in July, Ghanaian President John Mahama said the city received about 140 millimetres of rainfall, the highest recorded in several years.

“That aspect of the problem is beyond our control because it is driven by changing climatic conditions,” Mahama said in a statement posted on X.

The President criticised those responsible for blocking drainage channels. “The irresponsible actions of a few individuals end up putting entire communities at risk.”

According to Arise TV, following an aerial assessment of the flooded city, the Ghanaian President ordered the demolition of all illegal structures built on waterways.

The Ivorian government is also advising people to leave flood-prone areas and announced two sites for the construction of 12,000 affordable homes, which should eventually enable around 60,000 people to be rehoused, according to an RFI report.

In Nigeria, Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu disclosed that the state government would intensify dredging, excavation and drainage expansion projects to improve water flow and reduce flooding risks.

“We need to come regularly to excavate and clear these channels so there will be a free flow of water. Once the waterways are maintained, the water will eventually find its way into the lagoon,” he said when he visited the flooded areas in mid-July, according to THISDAY.

A Guardian report also stated that Lagos spent more than N106.6 billion on drainage construction, dredging and rehabilitation projects between 2025 and the first quarter of 2026.

In Akwa Ibom, Nigeria, the state government directed some construction companies in the state to immediately mobilise to flood-affected areas to evacuate excess stormwater, drain flooded communities and restore normalcy following the torrential rainfall experienced on July 9, 2026.

Climate resilience, flood insurance

Conversations about climate resilience, particularly around flood insurance, have gathered momentum in the West African region. However, little is known of implementations or impacts as flood damages persist.

In 2025, Guardian Nigeria reported that Nigeria hosted more than 250 insurance delegates for the 2025 West Africa Insurance Companies Association (WAICA) Education Conference in Lagos, where the issues of climate insurance were discussed.

The four-day forum focused on The West African Insurers in the Face of Climate Change. Delegates from Nigeria, Ghana, Sierra Leone, Liberia and The Gambia deliberated on how the insurance industry could help provide a buffer for the region against mounting economic shocks.

In March 2026, the Lagos State Government secured a parametric flood-risk insurance policy in the domestic market to protect vulnerable residents and provide up to $7.5 million for disaster response and recovery.

In a statement issued by the Insurance Development Forum (IDF) at the time, seen by Tribune libre de l'Afrique, the policy was described as a major step in strengthening climate resilience in the state and protecting nearly four million people.

According to the statement, the initiative is part of a Tripartite Agreement Programme – a partnership involving the IDF, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), and Germany’s Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) through the InsuResilience Solutions Fund (ISF).

The state governor, Sanwo-Olu, said climate inaction could cost Lagos nearly $40 billion by 2050, with “severe consequences for people, infrastructure and the economy.”

“This pioneering parametric flood insurance policy strengthens our ability to protect lives, livelihoods and public finances while embedding climate risk management into Lagos State’s long-term development planning,” he said.

FineDev Gateway, which publishes information about microfinance and financial inclusion, highlighted in 2025 what ADVANS Ghana was doing to help small businesses in Ghana adapt in the event of climate disasters such as flooding.

ADVANS Ghana, quoted by the platform, said, “Our first step in this strategy was to conduct a climate risk assessment, from which we identified floods and fires as the main climate risks our clients face.”

It added that, based on feedback from both clients and staff affected by climate-induced disasters, “we are now working on a recovery lending product called a Restart Loan. The Restart Loan aims to prevent excessive business interruption, helping clients rebuild their businesses and retain income sources.”

The World Food Programme (WFP) said in 2022 that it was looking at rolling out programmes that would allow communities and governments in West and Central Africa to better prepare for and recover from floods and other weather disasters.

“Strengthening resilience and promoting climate adaptation is more than urgent to anticipate climate hazards, restore degraded ecosystems and protect vulnerable communities against the impact of weather extremes,” Chris Nikoi, WFP’s Regional Director for West and Central Africa, said, according to a statement on the organisation’s website.

Experts’ views

Experts believe more needs to be done by regional governments in building resilience particularly in the area of preparedness. WaterAid Ghana Director Ewurabena Yanyi-Akofur in July called for “stronger urban planning and preparedness measures to safeguard communities before, during and after extreme weather events.”

According to the BBC, she said, “What we are witnessing in Accra is not an isolated weather event, but part of a pattern intensified by climate change and rapid, unplanned urbanisation.”

While speaking with Tribune libre de l'Afrique, a geographer and researcher, Abeeb Ajagbe, said governments’ approaches across Nigeria, Ghana and the wider West African coast remain largely reactive rather than proactive, adding that governments could have done more by putting preventive measures in place.

For Ajagbe, the agriculture and transport sectors are the hardest hit.

“Farmland gets submerged just as crops are ready for harvest, and this disrupts food supply and pushes prices up in the market. Transport suffers just as much because roads get destroyed, and when this happens, goods cannot move from farms to markets or from ports to warehouses, and people cannot go about their daily assignments.”

On solutions, he said infrastructure investment is central to reducing some of the losses.

“That is, drainage systems that are properly maintained, roads and bridges built to withstand seasonal flooding rather than just surviving it once, and transport routes that keep goods and services moving even when main roads are impassable.

“Without that kind of investment, every flood season simply resets the damage, and the economic loss keeps compounding instead of shrinking,” Ajagbe said.

The recent floods across West Africa remains a reminder that climate change has become a present-day economic threat that is reshaping business operations. As businesses absorb mounting losses and governments struggle to keep pace with worsening weather patterns, experts believe the region’s resilience will depend on sustained investment in adaptive climate-smart infrastructure.

As Town Planner Niyi Aderohunmu puts it in an interview with Nairametrics, government needs a fundamental shift away from reliance on drainage infrastructure alone to a “blue-green planning” approach. Beyond the immediate destruction of homes, roads and livelihoods, the recurring floods across West Africa signal a fundamental shift in the region’s business landscape.

As climate risks become more frequent and severe, they are increasingly influencing where businesses invest, how supply chains are designed, and the long-term sustainability of major economic sectors. For governments and the private sector, the challenge appears to no longer be simply responding to disasters but integrating climate resilience into economic planning, urban development and investment decisions.