The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has swiftly responded to the recent flood incidents that have ravaged several communities across the country. In collaboration with various State Emergency Management Agencies (SEMAs), NEMA has begun assessing the impacts to ensure timely and appropriate support for those affected.
This prompt action follows the agency’s early preparations, including the deployment of search and rescue teams and placing all NEMA zonal and operation offices on high alert. The agency has also started distributing relief items to complement the efforts of state governments in providing relief to flood victims.
NEMA’s Director General, Zubaida Umar, reaffirmed the agency’s commitment to coordinating efficient disaster management nationwide. She emphasized the importance of public awareness campaigns, particularly at the grassroots level, focusing on solid waste management and the need to clear blocked drainages and waterways.
According to statistics from NEMA’s Emergency Operations Centre, which was established for flood monitoring and resource coordination, 27 states have been affected by the floods. The devastation includes 227,494 individuals impacted, 32,837 houses damaged, and 16,488 hectares of farmland destroyed.
Umar also urged communities at risk of flooding, especially those along waterways, to relocate to safer, higher grounds before the peak of the rainy season. She called on all stakeholders, including SEMAs and community leaders, to be ready to activate flood response plans at short notice, given the increasing incidents.
In a related development, the NEMA Director General advised farmers not to panic over the temporary dry spell experienced in some states, assuring that the situation will soon be resolved, as predicted earlier in the year by the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet).
