The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) in Niger has engaged stakeholders on preparedness and mitigation strategies towards alleviating the impact of anticipated floods in the state.

Zubaida Umar, the director-general of NEMA, said this at a stakeholders’ engagement on the National Disaster Preparedness and Response Campaign (NPRC) 2025 in Minna on Thursday.

The theme of the engagement is “Strengthening Resilience, Enhancing Preparedness, and Response.”

Ms Umar, represented by Ishaya Chonoko, the zonal director in charge of the North-West zone of NEMA, said the engagement was to strengthen resilience, enhance preparedness and response to flood disasters across the country.

She said NEMA had received insights into rainfall patterns and flood scenarios for 2025 from the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NIMET) and the Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency (NIHSA).

“NEMA will deploy teams to all states to engage with flood-prone communities, taking early warning messages to the grassroots.

“This will be done with the support of state Emergency Management Agencies (SEMAs), Local Emergency Management Committees (LEMCs), and community volunteers,” she said.

The director-general called on partners such as traditional institutions, religious organisations, women and youth groups, and the media to support the initiative, saying disaster management was everyone’s business.

According to her, all hands must be on deck to act on early warnings to safeguard communities at risk, protect critical infrastructure, and support uninterrupted socio-economic activities across communities.

“There is a need to step up our game on what we can do differently from the past and come up with solutions and prepare for quick responses,” she added.

Also speaking, Hussaini Ibrahim, overseeing director-general of the Niger State Emergency Management Agency (NSEMA), said the meeting would proffer solutions to flooding preparedness and response, from expected flooding, to save lives and property and minimise flooding.

Similarly, Ahmed Yumu, Commissioner, Ministry for Humanitarian and Disaster Management, said the campaign would help reduce the impacts of annually recurring floods in the state.

In attendance were Hussaini Isah, head of NEMA, Minna Operations Office; the area manager of the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA), Akapo Adeboye; traditional leaders; and stakeholders from the police and army, amongst others.

(NAN)