Elizabeth Felix, a fish trader, stands amidst the revived vibrancy of Maiduguri’s main market, a stark contrast to six months ago when relentless rains and devastating floods submerged the area, wreaking havoc across Central and West Africa.

Maiduguri, capital of Nigeria’s northern Borno state, experienced some of the harshest impacts.

“I lost everything,” Felix recounts, reflecting on the $1,332 worth of goods swept away when her shop was submerged under floodwaters.

Maiduguri, already grappling with challenges from an insurgency since 2009, saw lives lost, hundreds of thousands displaced, markets destroyed, roads shattered, and Sanda Kyarimi zoo lose nearly 80% of its animals.

The flooding, intensified by a dam collapse, left 15% of the city underwater. Neighborhoods vanished, and existing humanitarian conditions in the insurgency-affected state worsened sharply.

Recovery efforts aim to bring back a semblance of normalcy while addressing the profound impacts of this dual crisis.

This vivid example underscores the urgent need for climate resilience in vulnerable regions like Maiduguri.

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