By Charles Maduka
The Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) has forecasted that Lagos, Delta, Bayelsa, Cross River, Rivers, and Akwa Ibom will experience between 250 and 290 rainy days in 2025.
This projection is contained in NiMet’s 2025 Seasonal Climate Prediction released on Monday.
States like Ogun, Oyo, Ekiti, Osun, Ebonyi, Anambra, and Enugu are expected to witness between 200 and 250 rainy days, while Niger, Kogi, Benue, Plateau, Nasarawa, Kwara, and the Federal Capital Territory are projected to have between 150 and 200 rainy days.
In the northern region, Sokoto, Katsina, Zamfara, Kano, Jigawa, Yobe, and Borno may experience 110 to 150 rainy days in the year.
According to NiMet, the total amount of rainfall across the country in 2025 will range from 405 millimetres in the far north to 3,010 millimetres in the coastal states.
Borno, Yobe, Sokoto, and Katsina are predicted to receive less than 685 mm of rainfall, while central states including parts of Niger, Kwara, Plateau, Nasarawa, Benue, and the FCT are expected to record between 970 mm and 1,500 mm.
Rivers, Bayelsa, Cross River, and Akwa Ibom are projected to receive between 2,700 mm and 3,010 mm of rainfall.
The report indicates that in most parts of the country, rainfall in 2025 is expected to be normal to below normal compared to long-term averages. However, parts of Kaduna, Ebonyi, Cross River, Lagos, Abia, Akwa Ibom, and the FCT are likely to experience above-normal rainfall.
The onset of the rainy season is expected between March and April in the southern states including Lagos, Ogun, Ondo, Ekiti, Edo, Cross River, Enugu, Ebonyi, Imo, Abia, and Anambra.
In the central part of the country, rainfall is expected to commence between April and May in states such as Niger, Kwara, Kogi, Benue, Plateau, Nasarawa, Taraba, and the FCT.
Northern states like Sokoto, Zamfara, Katsina, Kano, Jigawa, Bauchi, Yobe, and Borno are forecast to experience the onset of rain between early June and July.
Some parts of Plateau, Kaduna, Niger, Benue, Nasarawa, Taraba, Adamawa, and Kwara may experience a delayed onset, while an early onset is predicted in Delta, Bayelsa, Rivers, Anambra, and parts of Oyo, Ogun, Osun, Ondo, Lagos, Edo, Enugu, Imo, and Ebonyi.
Normal onset dates are expected in the remaining parts of the country.
NiMet also warned of severe dry spells lasting over 15 days after the onset of rainfall in parts of Oyo State, including Saki, Iseyin, Ogbomosho, Atisbo, Orelope, Itesiwaju, Olorunsogo, Kajola, Iwajowa, and Ori Ire.
A moderate dry spell of up to 15 days may occur in Ekiti, Osun, Ondo, Ogun, Edo, Ebonyi, Anambra, Imo, Abia, Cross River, Delta, Bayelsa, and Akwa Ibom.
In the north, a severe dry spell lasting up to 21 days is projected during the peak rainy season between June and August.
NiMet projected that the 2025 rainy season will end between October 6 and December 17 across the country.
The cessation of rainfall is expected to begin in the northern states around October 6 and move gradually southward. The end of the season in the central states of Plateau, Nasarawa, Kwara, Kogi, Benue, and the FCT is projected to occur between November 7 and 23.
Inland states such as Oyo, Osun, Ekiti, Edo, Imo, Anambra, Enugu, Abia, Ebonyi, and Cross River, along with coastal states like Akwa Ibom, Rivers, Delta, Bayelsa, Ondo, Ogun, and Lagos, are expected to experience the end of the rainy season from November 23 to December 17.
The earliest cessation is expected on October 6 in parts of Sokoto, Zamfara, and Katsina. Other northern states including Kano, Jigawa, Yobe, Bauchi, Borno, Kebbi, Kaduna, Niger, Gombe, and Adamawa are expected to see the end of rainfall between October 14 and 30.
Earlier-than-normal cessation is expected in Zamfara, Katsina, Kano, Kaduna, Jigawa, Plateau, Bauchi, Borno, Yobe, Adamawa, Taraba, Niger, Kwara, Kogi, Ekiti, Ondo, and the FCT.
Delayed cessation is predicted in parts of Kaduna, Nasarawa, Benue, Lagos, Kwara, Taraba, Oyo, Ogun, Cross River, Delta, Akwa Ibom, Ebonyi, Anambra, and Enugu.
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