By Abdullahi Lukman
The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has raised alarm over the increasing devastation caused by annual flooding across Nigeria, announcing the launch of the 2025 National Preparedness and Response Campaign (NPRC) in Edo State.
Speaking during a stakeholders’ engagement in Benin, NEMA’s Director General, Mrs. Zubaida Umar — represented by the Head of Operations, Benin Office, Mr. Kenoma Ojuedere — said the agency is intensifying its efforts to address the recurring loss of lives, property, and livelihoods due to floods.
She noted that recent flooding incidents have resulted in injuries, destruction of infrastructure, and economic losses running into billions of naira.
Many Nigerians, she added, have lost their homes, life savings, and means of livelihood due to unchecked flood hazards.
Citing the 2025 Seasonal Climate Prediction (SCP) and Annual Flood Outlook (AFO) released by the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMET) and Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency (NIHSA), Umar said NEMA has developed a comprehensive flood preparedness and mitigation plan.
This includes the 2025 Climate-Related Risk Management Implications, Preparedness, and Mitigation Actions, designed to guide national and community-level responses.
“As part of our early warning system, we have identified disaster risks and tailored mitigation strategies to be communicated directly to at-risk communities,” she said.
Umar urged both public and private institutions, humanitarian NGOs, school children, and youth groups to take advantage of early warning tools and work collaboratively to reduce flood impacts.
She also highlighted NEMA’s key mitigation strategies, including community capacity building, simulation exercises, rainwater harvesting systems, and aligning agricultural practices with predicted rainfall patterns.
The campaign seeks to strengthen national resilience against climate-induced disasters and enhance coordinated responses to protect lives and infrastructure throughout the 2025 rainy season.
