By Abdullahi Lukman
The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has carried out a flood simulation exercise in Dukku, a flood-prone community near Birnin Kebbi, as part of its preparedness efforts in North West Nigeria.
The exercise involved disaster managers and first responders from Kebbi, Niger, and Sokoto States, following a week-long capacity-building programme.
Assessing the exercise, NEMA Director-General Zubaida Umar described the simulation as impressive and praised the active participation of the local community.
“The lesson here is that community members should see themselves as the first line of response before government aid arrives,” she said.
Umar also called for stronger collaboration and increased ownership of disaster preparedness at all levels of governance.
As part of its engagement efforts, NEMA donated ten life jackets to the community.
The President’s Senior Special Assistant on Community Engagement, Mohammed Yakasai, emphasized the need for coordinated efforts among federal, state, and local governments to tackle recurring floods in riverine areas.
“We need to work together to avoid the flood that has been ravaging our communities,” he urged.
Representing the Kebbi State Governor, the Commissioner for Humanitarian Affairs commended NEMA’s initiative and pledged that the state government would provide more emergency response equipment to strengthen disaster management.
The exercise follows recent warnings from the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) and the Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency (NIHSA), which listed Sokoto, Kebbi, Zamfara, Niger, and Kwara among the high-risk states in the 2025 Seasonal Climate Prediction and Annual Flood Outlook.
