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The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has begun the 2025 flood preparedness and response campaign in Edo State to address risks and related hazards.
Speaking at the event in Benin on Wednesday, May 28, NEMA Director-General, Mrs. Zubaida Umar, said that flooding had devastated many families and communities in the country.
Represented by Mr. Kenoma Ojuedere, the Head, Benin Operations, Umar called for collaboration among stakeholders to ensure effective implementation of flood containment plans.
She said that recent flooding had resulted in loss of lives, means of livelihood, and infrastructure, costing billions of naira in damages.
“Many Nigerians have suffered injuries and lost life savings due to unmitigated flood incidents and associated secondary hazards annually,” she said
She cited the 2025 Seasonal Climate Prediction and Annual Flood Outlook, and provided insights into rainfall patterns and flood scenarios.
The NEMA boss said that the agency had developed a climate-related risk management implications, preparedness, and mitigation action plan for 2025 based on the flood predictions.
“As part of our early warning system, we have identified disaster risk management implications and mitigation strategies for communication to communities at risk during the rainy season.
“We urge public and private institutions, humanitarian NGOs, school children, and youth organisations to leverage early warning tools to support NEMA’s efforts.
“Our identified disaster risk management implications include delayed onset of rains, earlier cessation, shorter growing seasons, above-normal rainfall, and severe dry spells.
“These implications are expected to impact sectors such as disaster management, healthcare, agriculture, transportation, energy, telecommunications, water supply, power generation, education, security, and the environment,” she said.
Umar said that NEMA had developed disaster mitigation strategies such as capacity building for local responders, simulation exercises, rainwater harvesting, and adherence to predicted rainfall onset before planting.
“Other strategies involve irrigation as an alternative water source for agriculture, livestock vaccination, effective contingency prepositioning of basic family needs, and risk transfer where necessary,” she said.
She urged residents of flood prone communities to clear the drainages, avoid dumping refuse on natural waterways, develop evacuation plans and strengthen community-based information sharing and safety surveillance.
Umar explained that beyond the stakeholders’ engagement, NEMA teams would visit communities at risk of floods to disseminate early warning messages with the support of SEMAs and volunteers.
Also speaking, Mr. Jerry Idahosa, the Executive Secretary, Edo State Emergency Management Agency (EdoSEMA), thanked NEMA for choosing Edo as a focal point for the second phase of the nationwide campaign.
He said that the campaign had reaffirmed NEMA’s commitment towards a resilient, proactive, and people-centered disaster management framework.
Similarly, NEMA has inaugurated the 2025 National preparedness and response campaign on flood disaster and related hazards in Taraba State.
The campaign has as its theme “Strengthening Community Resilience for Flood Risk Reduction in Nigeria”.
Hajia Zubaida Umar, Director General, NEMA, while inaugurating the campaign in Jalingo in Wednesday, said the initiative focused on proactive community-based disaster risk reduction
Represented by Mr. Abbani Garki, Deputy Director, Relief and Rehabilitation, Umar identified early warning systems for early action as well as coordinated emergency responses.
She noted that the Nigerian Meteorology Agency (NiMet) and the Nigeria Hydrological Service Agency (NIHSA) respectively, had provided NEMA with valuable insights into rainfall pattern and flood scenarios for the year.
She said that this was through the rainfall and flood forecasts contained in the 2025 Seasonal Climate Prediction (SCP) and the 2025 Annual Flood Outlook (AFO).
The director general said that in view of the above, the agency had developed the 2025 Climate Related Risk Management Implication, Preparedness and Mitigation Actions.
According to her, this will serve as a guide to reduce the impacts of floods during the year.
Umar said that NEMA had also developed disaster mitigation strategies which include capacity building of local emergency responders and simulation exercises.
Others, she said were rain water harvesting, adherence to predicted rainfall onset before planting by farmers, irrigation as alternative source for agriculture among others.
She called on stakeholders and communities to remain vigilant and actively participate in local preparedness efforts as the 2025 rainy season unfolds.
In her remark, Dr Echuse Audu, Executive Secretary, Taraba Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), described the stakeholders meeting as a strategy in collaboration towards response to flood disaster.
Audu identified logistic challenges as major problem facing quick response to disasters but added that Gov. Agbu Kefas was providing the agency with needed funds in responding to disasters.
According to her, the governor is passionate whenever it comes to saving of lives.
Key participants at the meeting include representatives from federal and state agencies, security outfits, and humanitarian organisations, among others.
By Nefishetu Yakubu and Martins Abochol
