NEMA UNVEILS 2025 FLOOD PREPAREDNESS AND MITIGATION PLAN BASED ON CLIMATE PREDICTIONS 20-06-25
By Sadiq Aminu The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has developed a comprehensive document titled “2025 Climate-Related Risk Management Implications, Preparedness, and Mitigative Actions” to serve as a guide in reducing the impacts of anticipated flooding across Nigeria.
The Director General of NEMA, Hajiya Zubaida Umar, disclosed this during a stakeholders’ engagement on the 2025 National Preparedness and Response Campaign on Flood Disaster and Related Hazards, held in Gusau, the Zamfara State capital.
She was represented by the Deputy Director, Relief and Rehabilitation Department, Malam Sulaiman Kasim said the initiative was based on predictions by the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) and the Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency (NIHSA).
Hajiya Zubaida Umar revealed that, the NEMA’s Early Warning System was to identify disaster risk management implications and mitigation strategies, particularly for flood-prone communities.
According to her, NEMA had developed vulnerability maps for at-risk communities to guide all levels of government in implementing disaster risk reduction strategies.
She emphasized the need for public and private institutions, humanitarian agencies, non-governmental organizations, school children, and youth groups to make use of the early warning tools to support NEMA and other relevant bodies in minimizing disaster impacts.
“Some of the disaster risk implications identified include delayed onset of rains in some states, early or delayed cessation of rains, shorter-than-normal growing seasons, above-normal rainfall, prolonged dry spells lasting up to 21 days in some areas, and warmer-than-average temperature patterns,” she stated.
To address these challenges, NEMA has also outlined several mitigation strategies including the training of local emergency responders, conducting simulation exercises, promoting rainwater harvesting, encouraging farmers to align with rainfall predictions before planting, and adopting irrigation to supplement rainfall.
The Director General also revealed that NEMA is deploying teams to communities in all states of the federation, particularly flood-prone areas, to raise awareness and engage residents directly. This outreach is being carried out in collaboration with State Emergency Management Agencies (SEMAs), Local Emergency Management Committees (LEMCs), and community volunteers.
She noted that NEMA’s Zonal and Operational Offices across the country will simultaneously drive the grassroots engagement initiative, starting from May 15, 2025.
“As part of our commitment, we have been working closely with both mainstream and social media to ensure early warning messages are effectively communicated to the public,” she added.
Hajiya Umar reiterated the importance of the 2025 Seasonal Climate Prediction (SCP) by NiMet and the 2025 Annual Flood Outlook (AFO) by NIHSA, which she described as invaluable in shaping the agency’s preparedness strategy.
She called on development partners and stakeholders to support NEMA’s efforts in disseminating early warning messages to vulnerable communities.
In his remarks, Zamfara State Commissioner for Humanitarian Affairs, Salisu Musa Tsafe, commended the initiative, noting that it would significantly reduce the impact of recurring floods and protect the livelihoods of residents in flood-prone areas.
The Commissioner represented by the acting Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Mohammed Bashar Maradun described the engagement as a critical step toward creating awareness on how to mitigate the effect of the flooding in the state.
Others participants were the victims of the previous flooding in some communities, urged the stakeholders to support rehabilitate some of their collapse buildings.
The engagement meeting with the theme” Strengthening Resilience, enhancing preparedness and response” drawn participants from various communities, particularly those at high risk of flooding, including representatives from the Zamfara State Emergency Management Agency and other key stakeholders.