FCT Strengthens Flood Response, Sensitises Communities Ahead Of Heavy Rains

As the rainy season reaches its peak across the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), the FCT Emergency Management Department (FEMD) has intensified its flood preparedness and public sensitisation campaign, urging residents and stakeholders to work together to minimise the risk of flooding and prevent loss of lives and property.

Speaking at a one-day Stakeholders’ Engagement on the National Disaster Preparedness and Response Campaign 2026 in Abuja, the head of Forecasting, Response and Mitigation at FEMD, Dr Mark Nyam, warned that weather forecasts indicate that communities located in flood-prone areas remain at high risk during the current rainy season.

He called on stakeholders to adopt proactive measures aimed at preventing flood-related disasters, stressing that collective action is essential to safeguarding lives and property.

“We must work together to prevent avoidable disasters. Communities in flood-prone areas should take precautionary measures and support government efforts to reduce the impact of flooding,” Nyam said.

Also speaking, the head of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) Abuja Operations Office, Mr Zakari Abubakar, disclosed that the agency had rolled out several interventions nationwide to mitigate the effects of flooding.

“Our intervention focuses on prevention, preparedness, response and support to ensure recovery,” he said.

Abubakar urged FEMD to extend its awareness campaign to grassroots communities, particularly those living along riverbanks, to ensure residents understand the dangers associated with flooding and the need for early relocation where necessary.

In his contribution, the director of the Department of Development Control called for strict enforcement of regulations protecting waterways, noting that encroachment on natural drainage channels remains one of the major causes of flooding in the FCT.

As part of the campaign, participants visited identified flood-prone locations in Mabushi and Lokogoma districts to assess vulnerable areas and reinforce public awareness on flood prevention measures.

The stakeholders’ meeting was attended by representatives of the National Orientation Agency (NOA), the Nigerian Red Cross Society, the FCT Fire Service and the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA), among other agencies.

Meanwhile, FEMD has also taken its flood preparedness and sensitisation campaign to Gwagwalada Area Council, where traditional rulers and community leaders were urged to mobilise residents against practices that contribute to flooding.

Addressing palace officials, Nyam attributed most flooding incidents in the FCT to human activities, dismissing claims that flooding in Gwagwalada was caused by the release of water from dams.

“Disaster is localised. The attitude of some of our people worsens the situation. Do not dump refuse in drainage systems and do not build on water channels,” he warned.

District and village heads who spoke during the engagement blamed indiscriminate dumping of refuse on the absence of a designated waste disposal site in the area. They also called for stricter enforcement of environmental sanitation laws to curb practices that obstruct drainage channels.

In his remarks, the Aguma of Gwagwalada, Alhaji Mohammed Magaji, represented by the Waziri of Gwagwalada, Alhaji Bala Garba Madaki, described the sensitisation visit as timely and important.

He pledged that the flood awareness message would be cascaded to district, ward and village heads, as well as religious leaders across the area council.

The traditional ruler also assured FEMD of the commitment of the traditional institution to encourage residents living along riverbanks and other flood-prone areas to relocate to safer, higher grounds in order to avert possible disasters during the rainy season.