The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), in collaboration with the Nasarawa State Emergency Management Agency (NASEMA), on Thursday launched the National Preparedness and Response Campaign (NPRC) on flood disaster in Nasarawa State.

NEMA Director General, Zubaida Umar, while speaking at a one-day stakeholders’ engagement on NPRC in Lafia, said the campaign focused on flood prevention, preparation, mitigation, and response.

According to her, NPRC and stakeholders’ engagement is aimed at reducing the impacts of annual floods, safeguarding livelihoods, and driving socioeconomic growth and development in line with the renewed hope agenda of President Bola Tinubu.

The director general, represented by the Director of NEMA North Central Zonal Directorate, Aliyu Waziri, said that annual floods in Nigeria had caused significant loss of lives, livelihoods, and infrastructure.

She explained that the 2025 Seasonal Climate Prediction and Annual Flood Outlook by the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) and the Nigeria Hydrological Service Agency (NIHSA) had provided valuable insight into rainfall patterns and flood scenarios.

She said, “We have also produced vulnerability maps for all communities at risk to serve as tools to guide the government in developing risk reduction measures. Public and private institutions, humanitarian organisations, schools, children and youth organisations are expected to leverage these tools to support NEMA’s effort.’’

The DG explained that the agency had developed disaster mitigation strategies, including capacity building of local emergency responders, simulation exercises, and adherence to predicted rainfall onset before planting.

The DG stated, “Other mitigation strategies are desilting of drainages, integrity tests for critical infrastructure, evacuation plans, community-based information sharing, and increased safety and security surveillance.’’

The Director-General, Nasarawa State Emergency Management Agency, Benjamin Akwash, said that the Governor Abdullahi Sule-led administration was committed to protecting the lives and livelihoods of residents, especially victims of disasters.

He said the state government had been consistent in supporting NASEMA, which enabled the agency to cater to the needs of flood-impacted communities and victims of communal crises in various local government areas.

He said, “I want to thank NEMA for this engagement. I implore the stakeholders to participate actively to guide and prepare them for the 2025 flood prediction, as Nasarawa state is among the states flood is expected.’’

In her presentation on the overview of NPRC, Chief Search and Rescue Officer, NEMA, Bernadette Obaje, stressed the preparedness and risk reduction, which entails early warning dissemination, stakeholder coordination and planning.

The climax of the 2025 NEMA/NPRC stakeholders’ engagement was an awareness campaign on flood and fire disaster preparedness and response in the Gandu community, Federal University of Lafia.

The stakeholders’ engagement drew participants from the police, Fire Service, State Security Services (SSS) and the vice chairmen of the 13 local government areas of the state. 

(NAN)