The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has adopted new measures to mitigate flooding and other environmental hazards in Kano State through preparedness, early warning systems, community engagement, and collaboration with local governments.

NEMA’s director-general, Zubaida Umar, made this known at a two-day Emergency Preparedness and Response (EPR) Stakeholders Engagement Workshop in Kano.

Ms Umar, represented by the Director of Planning, Research, and Forecasting, Onimode Bandele, said the interventions under the EPR programme include evacuation preparedness, infrastructure assessments, and collaboration with state ministries of works and housing.

She said the engagement initiative was being implemented in collaboration with the World Bank Group Nigeria.

According to her, Kano was selected among seven pilot states for the programme due to its vulnerability to flooding during the rainy season.

She explained that the project’s objectives included establishing a robust disaster management infrastructure in every local government area of the pilot states.

“The objective is also to build their capacity, developing a comprehensive volunteer database and advocating for the adoption of local emergency management committees,” she said.

Ms Umar added that the project aimed to mitigate flooding and other disasters, particularly as Kano was prone to flooding during the rainy season.

“Current predictions indicate potential flooding in rural Nigeria due to heavy rainfall and water releases from upstream dams.

“NEMA is actively working to mitigate this through an early warning system by issuing timely alerts to communities at risk and by engaging local governments and communities for evacuation and preparedness.

“We are also working on infrastructure assessment in collaboration with the Ministry of Works and Housing,” she said.

Francis Nkoka, senior disaster risk management specialist at the World Bank, said adequate preparations would drastically reduce the cost of disasters.

“The goal is to strengthen emergency coordination, refine disaster management mechanisms, and align implementation strategies across sectors to build resilience for the people and economy of Kano,’’ he said.

Declaring the workshop open, Governor Abba Yusuf restated his administration’s commitment to policies and programmes that provide practical solutions to disaster management and prevention.

(NAN)