The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has activated its National Emergency Operations Centre (NEOC) to strengthen preparedness and response to flooding across Nigeria during the 2026 rainy season. 

NEMA Director-General, Zubaida Umar, announced the activation on Tuesday while inaugurating the NEOC team members at the agency’s headquarters in Abuja. 

Ms Umar said the centre’s activation formed part of proactive measures to enhance emergency readiness and ensure effective coordination among stakeholders throughout the flood season. 

She tasked the team with demonstrating diligence, professionalism and proactiveness in carrying out responsibilities critical to managing flood-related emergencies nationwide. 

She said information generated by the centre must be accurate, timely and dependable to support effective decision-making and disaster management efforts. 

“Information generated and disseminated from this centre must be factual, timely, and reliable to support effective decision-making and efficient management of disasters,” she said. 

Ms Umar stressed that credible and timely data remained essential for early action, rapid deployment of relief materials and protecting vulnerable communities from climate-related hazards. 

She noted that effective information management would help safeguard lives, livelihoods and critical infrastructure threatened by flooding and other extreme weather events. 

Responding on behalf of the team, deputy director of planning, research and forecasting, Tony Ephraim, pledged members’ commitment to continuous monitoring and information management. 

Mr Ephraim assured the DG that the team would maintain rigorous data collection, analysis and reporting to support prompt decisions during emergencies. 

“We will sustain round-the-clock monitoring and ensure robust data analysis to support timely decision-making and coordinated national response efforts,” he said. 

The NEOC will serve as the central operational hub for tracking flood developments and coordinating intelligence sharing among disaster management agencies. 

The centre is also expected to drive collaboration among key stakeholders and strengthen national response mechanisms throughout the 2026 flood season.

(NAN)