The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and stakeholders in disaster management on Wednesday met to strategise ways to avert disasters and reduce the impact of flooding.
The acting Zonal Director, North-West Zone, Ishaya Chinoko, disclosed this at a strategic meeting in Kaduna.
Chinoko said that the meeting was to monitor the level of preparedness of stakeholders towards the annual flood predictions by NIMET.
He said that emergencies might continue to occur and increase but the level of preparedness would help to prevent deaths and destruction of property.
“Based on the principles of early warning, effective communication, this meeting is not only important but expedient in preparedness hence the need to maintain correspondences formally and informally.
“Whatever their origin may be, natural or human induce, they always live behind losses of lives and or property and cause so much destruction and hardships,” he said.
According to him, the partnership and collaboration of stakeholders must be strengthened and sustained to proactively prepare for anticipated disasters to reduce losses and human suffering.
Iriya Istifanus, Zonal Coordinator Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency, Kaduna, commended NEMA’s proactive measures in initiating the meeting saying it was timely.
She listed the highly probable flood areas as Kajuru, Kudan and Kachia Local Government Areas (LGA’s) while Igabi and Chikun would be moderate.
Istifanus called on the local government chairmen present at the meeting to sensitise residents on the need to clear their drainages to avert the effect of this year’s flood.
Mr Aliyu Bashir, Manager, Nigeria Meteorological Agency (NIMET) Kaduna, said that NEMA had exhibited capacity to coordinate stakeholders in preparation to mitigate floods in the state.
“As it is rightly said, early warning is to be backed by early action so as to mitigate the impact of possible disasters,” he said.
He called on all the relevant stakeholders to live up to their responsibilities so as to prevent loss of lives and property.