Tag: NEMA

A delegation from the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Abuja, on Friday visited Delta State to educate the residents of some flood prone communities about impending risks and mitigation measures.

The NEMA delegation first met with Governor Sheriff Oborevwori, who detailed the Commissioner for Special Duties to represent him during the sensitisation.

Director General of NEMA Zubaida Umar represented by the Deputy Director, Special Duties, Dr. Tickman Tenimu, said the purpose of the meeting was to inform and sensitize members of the state ministries, departments, and agencies about flood predictions.

The DG said relevant predictions were made by NiMet on February 4 and by NIHSA on April 10 regarding potential flooding.

She said it was determined that Oshimili South Local Government of Delta State would be the focus area for the discussions.

Umar said within that local government, the Oko community was identified as a key area for engagement.

The director general said the upcoming floods are predicted, making it crucial to alert the community, considering its historical experience with flooding and their adaptive responses.

She said the aim of the sensitisation was to educate the community about the impending flood risk as well as to provide timely alerts and advice on safety measures and preparedness.

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The Aneliaku (king) of Oko Kingdom, Ikejiora B.N.J expressed the community’s appreciation to the NEMA delegation for coming to their area.

He said: “We are pleased with your presence here. We have heard you, we know it is a kind of annual problem we face here. Definitely, it is only God that can help us out of this.

“We are human beings, we will do our bit. We are the people feeling the impact of the flooding.  Every year it looks like we are starting life all over again.

“We also want you people to talk to the authorities concerned. The reliefs you are giving us are good, but we need a permanent solution to our problem because if we have the River Niger dredged, it will reduce the effect of the flood.

“Whichever way your people can be of help, please continue to do it, don’t be tired, we cannot run from our ancestral land.”

In an interview with Dr. Tickman Tenimu, NEMA Deputy Director, Special Duties, after the sensitization, he recalled that on February 4 the National Meteorological Agency released their annual seasonal climate prediction and then on April 10th, the National Hydrological Agency also released their annual flood outlook.

Tenimu said as a result of those two predictions, the Director General had to assemble a technical meeting of experts between March 11 and 12 to analyse social economic and disaster risk management implications of the predictions.

He stated: “And with that, one of the things we gathered from them was the early warning message should be downscaled to the states, to local government and from there to the communities.

“First is the early warning message; when you understand its hazards, you will know that you need to prepare to protect yourself.

The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has deployed its men in states to raise safety awareness during the rainy season amongst Nigerians.

They have been holding series of meetings with relevant stakeholders in city centres.

In Uyo, the Akwa Ibom State capital, NEMA’s Director-General, Zubaida Umar, said the agency’s move was necessary to save lives and livelihoods.

Represented by Mrs. Ugwu Chudi, the Deputy Director, Department of Audit, Umar emphasised the importance of collaboration among stakeholders in carrying out early warnings.

She said: “Disaster management across the world is predicated on community participation and due consideration to the diversity of persons, leaving no one behind.

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 “We must work together to take the right early warning to specific groups to safeguard communities at risk, protect critical infrastructure and support uninterrupted socio-economic activities in our various communities.”

Deputy Governor Mrs. Akon Eyakenyi commended NEMA for its efforts, stressing that the government has been consistent in carrying out sensitisation campaigns and routine cleaning of gutters to prevent flooding.

She added that the state chose disaster prevention over casualty management.

The deputy governor, who hosted the NEMA team at the Akwa Ibom Government House said: “The most effective way of managing disaster is preventing its occurrence.

“We must be serious about everything discussed here and commit ourselves to diligent implementation.”

At the session was attended by Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) and the Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency (NIHSA) officials as well as council chairmen, monarchs, security agencies, civil society organisations, and non-governmental organisations.

The agency has produced vulnerability maps for all communities in Kano to develop risk reduction measures and avert losses.

The maps are to serve as tools to guide government at all levels.

Hajiya Zubaida Umar, the Director-General (DG) of NEMA, made this known during the agency’s stakeholders’ engagement on the 2025 National Preparedness and Response Campaign on the menace.

The meeting held at Doka community in Tofa Local Government Area of Kano.

The initiative aims to promote early action to save lives and farmlands. 

The event tagged: “Strengthening Resilience, Enhancing Preparedness and Response”, was organised in collaboration with the Kano State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA).

Represented by the agency’s Territorial Coordinator in Kano, Dr. Nuradeen Abdullahi, the NEMA boss said the sensitisation aligned with the Federal Government’s Renewed Hope Agenda (RHA) of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, in driving socio-economic growth and development.

 Abdullahi, represented by NEMA Kano Head of Admin and Human Resources, Suleiman Sa’ad-Abubakar, noted that the campaign would significantly reduce the impact of recurring floods and safeguard people’s livelihoods.

He said: “Public and private institutions, humanitarian, non-governmental organisations, school children and youth organisations are expected to leverage these early warning tools to support the efforts of NEMA and other government institutions.

“NEMA has also developed disaster mitigation strategies, which includes capacity building of local emergency responders, stimulation exercises, rain water harvesting and adherence to predicted rainfall onset before planting for farmers.

“Others are de-silting of drainages and natural waterways, integrity tests for critical infrastructure, evacuation plans, community-based information sharing and increased safety and security surveillance in identified vulnerable communities.”

The DG highlighted some of the disaster risk management implications which includes impact on socio-economic, healthcare, rain-fed agriculture, transportation, energy telecommunication, education, security among others.

She called on traditional institutions, religious organisations, women, media and youth groups to support the agency in taking early warning messages to the people to safeguard against danger during the rainy season.

The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has held a stakeholders’ engagement in Akwa Ibom state to raise awareness and prepare communities for the impending flood season.

This is part of the strategies by NEMA to boost the readiness of the state ahead of this year’s flood prediction by the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet).

Speaking during the event at the Government House, Uyo on Wednesday, NEMA’s Director-General, Mrs. Zubaida Umar, said that the move became necessary to save lives and livelihoods during the 2025 rainy season.

The DG was represented by Mr Ugwu Chudi, the Deputy Director, Department of Audit, NEMA Headquarters Abuja.

Umar, while sympathising with the recent flood victims in Niger state, emphasized the importance of collaboration among stakeholders in carrying out early warnings.

“Disaster management across the world is predicated on community participation and due consideration to the diversity of persons, leaving no one behind.”

“We must work together to take the right early warning to specific groups to safeguard communities at risk, protect critical infrastructure and support uninterrupted socio-economic activities in our various communities,” she added.

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In her keynote address, the state deputy governor, Sen. Akon Eyakenyi, commended NEMA for her efforts, stressing that the state government has been consistent in sensitisation campaigns and routine desilting of gutters to prevent flooding.

She added that the state government has chosen disaster prevention over casualty management.

“The most effective way of managing disaster is preventing its occurrence.”

 “We must be serious about everything discussed here and commit ourselves to diligent implementation,” she added.

Our correspondent reports that the event brought together representatives from various federal agencies, including the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) and the Nigerian Hydrological Services Agency (NIHSA).

Others were: local government chairmen, traditional rulers, security agencies, civil society organisations, and non-governmental organisations (NGOs).

• Agency deploys team to comm unities at risk of flooding

The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has urged state governments to prepare and provide safer grounds for residents who may be affected by the predicted floods this year.

Forty-three local government areas in 12 states are said to be within the high-risk areas.

Also, 12 states, including the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), with 27 local government areas, are considered to fall within the moderate flood-risk areas.

Thirteen states and the remaining local government areas across the country are forecasted to be within the low flood-risk areas.

NEMA’s Director General Zubaida Umar told a stakeholders’ engagement on this year’s National Preparedness and Response Campaign on flood disaster and other related hazards yesterday in Abuja that the agency would deploy its team to communities forecasted to be affected by the flood.

Commenting on efforts made to mitigate the impact of flood this year, Umar said: “What we have done so far is that we have contacted all the state governments, and we have written to them. We have also used our state offices to visit some of them, where we have locations.

“We have also asked them to provide safer grounds where we can move people to higher grounds, if a flood happens. We’ve got a couple of responses, but there’s a bit of a weak link when it comes to the State Emergency Management Agencies (SEMAs) and the local emergency management committees.

“It’s a common notion that whenever there’s any type of disaster, the first responders that everybody believes is NEMA. That should not be the case. All disasters are local. We should be able to say that when there’s a disaster in a particular place, the community should be able to take charge.

Read Also: Flooding: NEMA alerts governors, urges clearing of blocked drainages

“So, it is important for states to be responsible for some of these issues so that they are not just seated there waiting for NEMA to act.”

The NEMA boss announced the deployment of its workers to communities, saying: “We have also produced vulnerability maps for all communities at risk to serve as tools to guide government at all levels to develop risk reduction measures to avert disaster losses during the year.

“NEMA is deploying teams to all the states of the federation, to communities at risk of floods, to interact with the people and take the early warning message to the grassroots with the support of SEMAs, LEMCs and community volunteers.

“The NEMA Zonal Directorates and Operations offices spread across the nation will simultaneously drive this engagement process at the state and community levels beginning from today, 15th May 2025.”

She expressed optimism that the measures put in place would mitigate the impact of the predicted flood this year.

“I hope that our efforts will go a long way in reducing the impacts of the annually recurring floods and safeguard the livelihoods of our people,” Umar added.

…Deploys team to communities at risk of flooding

The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has urged state governments to prepare and provide safer grounds to those who may be affected by the predicted flood this year.

12 States with 43 Local Government Areas (LGAs) have been predicted to be within the high-risk areas, and 12 States, including the FCT, with 27 LGAs, are considered to fall within the moderate flood-risk areas.

Also, 13 States and the remaining LGAs in the country are forecasted to be within the low flood-risk areas.

The Director General of NEMA, Zubaida Umar, at a Stakeholders’ engagement on the 2025 National Preparedness and Response Campaign on flood disaster and other related hazards in Abuja on Thursday, said the Agency would deploy its team to communities predicted to be affected by the flood.

On efforts made to mitigate the impact of the flood this year, the DG said: “What we have done so far is we have contacted all the state governments, and we have written to them. We have also used our state offices to visit some of them where we have locations.

“We have also asked them to provide safer grounds where we can move people to higher grounds if a flood happens, and we’ve got a couple of responses, but there’s a bit of a weak link when it comes to the State Emergency Management Agencies (SEMA), and the local emergency management committees.

“It’s a common notion that whenever there’s any type of disaster, the first responders that everybody believes are NEMA, and that should not be the case. All disasters are local. We should be able to say that when there’s a disaster in a particular place, the community should be able to take charge.

“So, it is important for states to be responsible for some of these issues, so that they are not just sitting there waiting for NEMA to act.”

Read Also: Flooding: NEMA alerts governors, urges clearing of blocked drainages

On the deployment to communities, Umar said: “We have also produced vulnerability maps for all communities at risk to serve as tools to guide governments at all levels to develop risk reduction measures to avert disaster losses during the year.

“NEMA is deploying teams to all the States of the Federation to communities at risk of floods to interact with the people and take the early warning message to the grassroots with the support of SEMAs, LEMCs, and community volunteers.

“The NEMA Zonal Directorates and Operations offices spread across the nation will simultaneously drive this engagement process at the State and community levels beginning from today, 15th May 2025.”

She expressed optimism that the measures put in place would mitigate the impact of the predicted flood this year.

“I hope that our efforts will go a long way in reducing the impacts of the annually recurring floods and safeguard the livelihoods of our people”.

The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) said it has alerted the state governors of the areas likely to be affected by flooding as rainfall begins.

NEMA advised states and local governments to commence clearing blocked drainage systems to prevent overflow, construct temporary flood barriers to protect homes and infrastructure, and evacuate residents from flood-prone areas to safer grounds.

It also said demolition of structures along waterways in the Federal Capital Territory has begun to prevent loss of lives and properties.

The agency said the advisory and early warning messages to governors and other relevant authorities are sequel to the Seasonal Climate Prediction (SCP) released earlier in the year by the Nigeria Meteorological Agency (NiMet) and the Annual Flood Outlook released by the Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency (NIHSA).

The director general of NEMA, Zubaida Umar, disclosed this in Abuja during the launch of the 2025 Climate-Related Disaster Preparedness and Mitigation Strategy document.

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She said the document highlights climate-related risk management implications, preparedness, mitigative actions, and periods of action during the year.

The key sectors of the economy highlighted in the document are: water resources, agriculture and food security, education, information management, security, telecommunications, power generation & distribution, transportation, health & nutrition, and livestock production sectors.

Speaking on the level of preparedness of the agency to reduce the impact of the predicted flood, Umar said, “The document unveiled is a result of the review of the predictions that we received from NiMet and NIHSA. We came together and held a coordination forum where everybody was assigned roles, and so far, NEMA is out in every state. We are trying to focus on disaster risk reduction. Rather than being reactive, we want to keep being proactive.

“We have written to all state governments to inform them, including maps to show them what is expected in every local government in line with what we have received from NiMet and NIHSA.

“We have also started the campaign of telling people to clear their waterways, and the campaign of asking people to demolish buildings that are on waterways, so that things become easier for everyone. In compliance with the Federal Capital Territory, demolitions have started. All buildings on waterways are being identified, and they are being demolished.

“On the part of the federal government, there was approval for the reconstruction of Alau Dam in Borno State.

“So, we are not just sending letters; we have also gone down to the local governments as well. This time, we want to see that there’s a lot of involvement with the local governments because they’re the first responders, and once we get them kitted and ready, things will be much easier for us. So, NEMA is ready.”

National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has cautioned Lagos residents to observe safety rules to mitigate the impact of heavy rainfall in the state.

NEMA Coordinator, Lagos Territorial Office, Mr Ibrahim Farinloye, gave the advice in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) yesterday in Lagos.

Farinloye said motorists should park their vehicles and move away to safer environments during heavy rainfall.

He warned residents from taking shelter under temporary or makeshift accommodation during rainfall to avoid disaster.

He said people living on low-level ground should move to a higher level for safety.

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“Parents are enjoined not to send  their children to errands during the rains.

“Follow instructions given by public safety officials.

“Be alert to changing weather conditions and be ready to move to higher ground.

“Consider postponing outdoor activities,” Farinloye said.

He advised parents to tie down or bring in outdoor objects (patio furniture, children’s toys, trash cans, etc.) that could be swept away or damaged during flooding.

“Consider unplugging sensitive electronic equipment before flooding occurs. But do not touch electrical equipment if you are wet or standing in water.

“Elevate items stored in your basement to prevent damage. If you have a sump pump, check that it is working,” Farinloye said.

He stressed that residents should consider clearing street catch basins to prevent or reduce street flooding.

He said motorists should avoid camping or parking along streams, rivers, creeks, or other areas prone to flooding during heavy rainfall.

“These areas can flood rapidly and with little warning,” Farinloye said.

The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has begun a fire safety sensitization in markets and public places following the increasing cases of fire outbreaks in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

According to the FCT Fire Service, at least 150 fire outbreaks have been recorded between January and April this year.

NEMA said the safety campaign would lead to a reduction in cases, and prevent loss of lives and properties

Speaking during the campaign at the Garki Model market in Abuja, the Head of NEMA Abuja Operation Office, Zakari Abubakar, said the campaign would build the capacity of market people in the event of a fire outbreak.

Abubakar said: “We are here to sensitize them on what to do in case there is a fire outbreak and also what they can do to prevent a fire outbreak in the marketplace. Fire, inasmuch as it is our friend, can also turn out to be our enemy, and that is why people have to put the necessary measures in place to prevent it from becoming our enemy.

“Measures we need to put in place include putting off all appliances at the close of business, ensuring proper wiring and ventilation of shops, and purchasing genuine fire extinguishers and servicing them when due.

“We should always have a fire exit and escape plan for our shop in case of fire, ensuring our goods and properties, installing fire-resistant walls, and storing flammable materials safely away from wires”.

He also urged the marketers to stop illegal connections and wiring and stop the overloading of electrical outlets.

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Abubakar said the campaign would be extended to schools, offices, churches, mosques, and other places to sensitise people to avert losses in case of an outbreak.

“This campaign is important because a fire outbreak has no boundary. It can occur anywhere, and experience has shown that it has occurred in different places, including markets. So, this campaign would be taken to offices, schools, places of worship, and other places.”

The Representative of the Fire Service, Deputy Controller from FCT Fire Service, Segun Akinola, disclosed that FCT has recorded over 150 fire outbreaks in the last four months.

He said: “From January to now, we have recorded not less than 150 outbreaks in the FCT. These outbreaks were recorded from the six area councils in FCT because we have 15 stations across the FCT, and the report of the outbreaks was sent to the control room in the FCT.

“These cases are high, and we are hopeful that this fire safety campaign will lead to a reduction of fire outbreaks across FCT and the country at large.”

The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has disclosed readiness to explore risk financing as part of efforts to mitigate the impact of disasters.

The Director General of NEMA, Zubaida Umar disclosed this in Abuja on Thursday at a workshop on disaster risk financing organized by NEMA in collaboration with African Reinurance Corporation (Africa Re).

Umar noted that losses incurred has made it imperative for the government to explore risk financing options that will guarantee early recovery and business continuity in the aftermath of socio-economic dislocations as a result of disasters.

She described the rate of occurrence of disasters in Nigeria as alarming, adding that it has escalated the risk profile of the country and the humanitarian dashboard of the country.

The DG, who was represented by the Director of Disaster Risk Reduction, Idris Mohammed, said disasters have compelled governments at all levels to invest huge resources in emergency relief and post-disaster recovery interventions.

She said: “Over the years, the government has committed huge amounts of funds towards emergency relief and recovery interventions for persons impacted by both sudden onset and protracted disaster events.   

During the 2024 rainy season, the incident dashboard of the NEMA Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) indicated that 217 Local Government Areas in 34 States of Nigeria are affected by flood disaster. A total of 1,373,699 persons were affected by the floods, while 740,734 are displaced, in addition to 321 recorded mortalities.

“2,854 persons suffered various degrees of injuries, with thousands of hectares of cultivated farmlands either washed away or completely inundated by flood waters. In Nigeria, the situation has become more complex with the protracted insurgency, banditry, and communal conflicts in some states of the federation.”

She continued: “This has made it imperative for NEMA to explore risk financing options that will guarantee early recovery and business continuity in the aftermath of socio-economic dislocations a result of disasters.

“It is our firm belief that this paradigm shift has become more imperative in the face of dwindling resources for disaster recovery in addition to other equally important and yet competing demands on government. 

“By transferring risk, individuals, businesses, and governments can reduce their financial exposure to disasters. Risk transfer guarantees availability of resources for early recovery and building back better in recovery, rehabilitation, and reconstruction in line with the Nigeria National Disaster Recovery Plan (NDRP) and priority 4 of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction (2015-2030).

The Deputy Managing Director/Chief Operating Officer at the Africa Re, Mr. Ken Aghoghovbia said there is need to explore innovative ways for effective disaster management in Nigeria.

He said risk financing requires timely access to both financial and technical resources, and highlights the need to explore innovative ways for effective disaster management in Nigeria.

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“Africa Re acknowledges that collaboration among various stakeholders is essential, as no single stakeholder can achieve the national objectives of disaster management alone. We believe that, as is done in many places, there is room for public-private partnerships in developing a robust disaster risk financing strategy for Nigeria, which includes insurance solutions.

The Commissioner for Insurance/Chief Executive of National Insurance Commission (NAICOM), Olusegun Omosehin, said the country cannot prevent natural disasters but can prepare and reduce the impact.

He said exploring risk financing enhances early warning systems and optimizes the utilization of limited government resources.

He said, “Whether natural or man-made, disaster management is not just about response; it’s about mitigation, preparedness, and recovery. So, the more we invest in disaster preparedness, the less we spend on disaster responses.

“Insurance stands out as a highly effective risk management mechanism, providing financial protection and enabling entities to recover from unforeseen events, thereby maintaining stability and resilience in the face of adversity.

“Insurance serves as a vital instrument in enhancing predictability and facilitating timely access to financial resources, and it could be a way of providing the government with financial protection against most of our natural disasters.”

He assured that NAICOM will support in the development of a national catastrophic risk strategy, develop contingency plan, and facilitate disaster resilience and stimulate transfer of disaster risk to insurance industry, both locally and globally, through appropriate reinsurance.