Such flooding tends to occur every year in the rainy season, exacerbated by poor infrastructure and lack of planning to protect against the waters, but this year the destruction has been the worst since 2012.

"Based on the data available, 100 people have so far died in 10 states," said Sani Datti, spokesman for the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), after heavy rain over the past days.

He said a national disaster has been declared in four states - Kogi, Niger, Anambra and Delta - meaning the federal government had taken over the search, rescue and rehabilitation of victims.

Delta is an oil-producing state in the Niger Delta region, home to Africa's biggest energy industry, where the Niger river fans into creeks before emptying itself into the Atlantic. There has been no reported impact on crude oil production.

Kogi and Niger are states in the centre of the country whereas the other two are in southern regions.

Flooding in past years has left hundreds of thousands of people homeless.

eNCA