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By Oboh Linus
National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), in collaboration with the Nasarawa State Emergency Management Agency (NASEMA), has launched the National Preparedness and Response Campaign (NPRC) on flood disaster in Nasarawa State.
Mrs Zubaida Umar, NEMA Director General, while speaking at a One Day stakeholders’ engagement on NPRC in Lafia, said the campaign focused on flood prevention, preparation, mitigation, and response.
According to her, NPRC and stakeholders’ engagement aimed at reducing the impacts of annual floods and safeguarding livelihoods, driving socio-economic growth and development in line with the renewed hope agenda of President Bola Tinubu.
The director general represented by Mr Aliyu Waziri, Director of NEMA North Central Zonal Directorate, said that annual floods in Nigeria had caused significant loss of lives, livelihoods, and infrastructure.
She explained that the 2025 Seasonal Climate Prediction and Annual Flood Outlook by the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NIMet and Nigeria Hydrological Service Agency (NIHSA) had provided valuable insight into rainfall patterns and flood scenarios.
“We have also produced vulnerability maps for all communities at risk to serve as tools to guide government in developing risk reduction measures.
“Public and private institutions, humanitarian organisations, schools, children and youth organisations are expected to leverage these tools to support NEMA’s effort, ” she said.
The DG explained that the Agency had developed disaster mitigation strategies, including capacity building of local emergency responders, simulation exercises, and adherence to predicted rainfall onset before planting.
Other mitigation strategies are; desilting of drainages, integrity tests for critical infrastructure, evacuation plans, Community-based information, sharing, and increased safety and security surveillance.
Barrister Benjamin Akwash, Director General, Nasarawa State Emergency Management Agency (NASEMA), said the State Government under the leadership of Governor Abdullahi Sule is committed to protecting the lives and livelihoods of residents who were victims of disasters.
He said the state government has been consistent in supporting NASEMA, which enables the agency to cater to the needs of flood-impacted communities and the victims of communal crises in various local government areas.
” I want to thank NEMA for this engagement, l implore the stakeholders to participate actively to guide and prepare them for the 2025 flood prediction as Nasarawa state is among the states flood is expected,” he said.
In her presentation on the overview of NPRC, Mrs Bernadette Obaje, Chief Search and Rescue Officer, NEMA, harped on preparedness and risk reduction, which entails early warning dissemination, stakeholders coordination and planning.
The climax of the 2025 NEMA/ NPRC stakeholders’ engagement was an awareness campaign on flood and fire disaster preparedness and response at Gandu Community, Federal University, Lafia.
The stakeholders’ engagement brought various stakeholders together, the police, fire service, department of the State Security Services (DSS) and the vice chairmen of the 13 Local Government Areas of the state.
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