THE National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), has begun the 2025 flood preparedness and response campaign in Edo to address risks and related hazards.
Speaking at the event in Benin on Wednesday, 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.
