In a proactive move to strategize for flood risk management in 2025, the National Emergency Management Agency has convened a stakeholders’ forum to analyze the recent Seasonal Climate Prediction released by the Nigerian Meteorological Agency for necessary early actions to mitigate the risks of climate-related disasters across the country this year.
Addressing participants, the Director General NEMA, Mrs. Zubaida Umar, emphasized the importance of multi-sectoral preparedness, response, and recovery efforts in light of the growing complexity of disaster scenarios.
She said, “the climate challenges last year raised significant questions about our ability to respond efficiently to evolving disaster trends and impacts. Numerous humanitarian response activities took place that needed evaluation to help stakeholders in disaster management identify areas of need and set goals for improved responses this year.”
She explained that it was in view of the recent experience that the forum was aimed at bringing together principal actors in disaster management to critically assess all preparedness, mitigation, and response activities undertaken in 2024 by relevant agencies at the Federal, State, and Local Government levels, adding that “we need to understand what happened, why it happened, what we did correctly, and identify gaps to enhance our performance.”
The Director General NEMA further said that the analysis of the 2025 SCP will inform the development of climate-related disaster preparedness and mitigation strategies, along with early messaging to facilitate prompt actions by Federal, State, and Local Government Authorities.
This effort, she noted, will further highlight and simplify the recent Nigeria hazard risk analysis conducted by NEMA in collaboration with UNICEF, providing stakeholders with valuable insights for effective disaster preparedness.
The Director, Planning, Research and Forecasting, NEMA, Dr Onimode Abdullahi Bandele explained that relevant stakeholders from key sectors including agriculture, health, transport, power, water resources management and infrastructure were participating in the meeting to brainstorm on the 2025 SCP, noting that all hands must be on deck to combat the numerous devastating climate induced disasters in the country.
Some of the participants also shared goodwill messages affirming their commitment to the forum’s objectives, including representatives from universities Centres for Disaster Risk Management and Development Studies, State Emergency Management Agencies (SEMAs), various Federal Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), and the Nigerian Military.
