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, director-general of NEMA, said this at a stakeholders’ engagement on 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, zonal director in charge of the North-West zone of NEMA, said that 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 the 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 take the right early warning to safeguard communities at risk, protect critical infrastructure and support uninterrupted socio-economic activities in various 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 response,” she added.

Also speaking, Hussaini Ibrahim, overseeing director-general, 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, NEMA, Minna Operations Office, area manager of National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA), Akapo Adeboye, traditional leaders and stakeholders from the police, army, amongst others.

(NAN)