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NEMA Launches Nationwide Flood Preparedness Campaign Ahead of 2025 Rainy Season
In anticipation of potential flooding during the 2025 rainy season, the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has commenced a nationwide deployment of teams to flood-prone communities. The initiative aims to deliver critical early warning messages and promote disaster preparedness at the grassroots level.
NEMA’s Director General, Mrs. Zubaida Umar, made this announcement on Thursday during a stakeholders’ engagement forum in Abuja, focused on the 2025 National Preparedness and Response Campaign for flood and related hazards.
Mrs. Umar called on state governments to identify and prepare safer locations for residents likely to be displaced by floods. According to current projections, 43 Local Government Areas across 12 states fall within high-risk flood zones, while another 27 LGAs in 12 states, including the Federal Capital Territory, are considered at moderate risk. The remaining areas are categorized as low-risk.
She emphasized that NEMA, in collaboration with State Emergency Management Agencies (SEMAs), local emergency committees, and community volunteers, is already deploying teams to at-risk communities.
These teams will facilitate direct engagement, deliver early warnings, and raise public awareness using local languages and media platforms.
“Our zonal directorates and operational offices are leading the grassroots outreach efforts, starting today, May 15, 2025,” she said. “We’ve also partnered with the National Orientation Agency to produce radio jingles in local languages to further disseminate safety information.”
Mrs. Umar highlighted the vital role of traditional institutions, religious organizations, women and youth groups, and the media in enhancing public understanding and response at the community level. She noted that disaster management begins locally and must be inclusive, ensuring no one is left behind.
“It’s a misconception that NEMA should be the first responder in every disaster. The truth is, all disasters are local. Communities must be empowered to respond swiftly before external help arrives,” she stressed.
She also pointed out the need for improved coordination among state and local emergency agencies and revealed that NEMA has produced vulnerability maps to guide all levels of government in planning effective risk reduction strategies.
In his remarks, Idris Mohammed, Director of Disaster Risk Reduction at NEMA, underscored the growing threat of flood and climate-related hazards to Nigeria’s socio-economic and environmental stability. He urged stakeholders to collaborate on solutions, share best practices, and develop actionable strategies to strengthen flood preparedness and resilience.
Assistant Commandant General of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, Hammed Abodunrin, echoed the call for community involvement and proposed incorporating community service activities, such as environmental sanitation, into school curricula to build a culture of disaster prevention.