Climate change is real, and its effects are causing unimaginable devastation across the globe. The world has witnessed several natural disasters, from hurricanes to floods and earthquakes, ravaging millions of lives and homes. Floods lead to tremendous property, infrastructure, business losses and increased risk of diseases. So far, available statistics indicate that over 2.8 billion people worldwide are affected with an estimated 200,000 deaths over the past three decades.
The recent flooding experienced in parts of the country has reinforced the debate on the preparedness of the government at all levels for disaster management. Its impact has not come without consequences in the form of humanitarian crisis. It is often canvassed that the government must step up its emergency response initiatives.
This brings to the fore the leadership question in Nigeria. Experts have argued that credible leadership is the missing link to sustainable growth and development. This position has elicited debates as to why Nigeria deserves leaders who are passionate about the country’s development.
It is from this perspective that we assess the response mechanism of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) established via Act 12, as amended by Act 50 of 1999. It is an agency set to manage disasters in Nigeria with the vision to build a culture of preparedness, prevention, response and community resilience to disaster in Nigeria.
It is observable that the agency has devised some strategies for dealing with disaster management in the country with some measure of success. These strategies may have helped as witnessed in the recent flooding experienced in parts of the country. This is alongside the reforms introduced by the agency aimed at building capacity to enable it to contribute to building and strengthening mechanisms at community, local government and state levels for effective emergency preparedness, early warning and quick response.
The agency in collaboration with others like the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMET), as a matter of duty, send out early warning signals to people living along flood plains on how to mitigate the effects of flooding when it occurs. The devastation that occurs in spite of these warnings are essentially as a result of other factors beyond the control of the agency
In our considered opinion, there are concerns especially as regards the provision of infrastructure that need to be addressed by the government to ensure that the necessary mechanism for effective disaster management in the country is in place. In our view, leadership at the various levels of flood prevention, control and management is a functional prerequisite which cannot happen in isolation. The building of canals and dams to help control the water levels, especially in Adamawa and Benue, is necessary to contain the situation whenever there is an overflow from the dams.
The government must also prioritise the dredging of significant rivers to allow for easy passage of water, improve the drainage of waterways to avoid obstructions, and the building of dikes and levees to enhance flooding control.
It is pertinent to state that transparency and accountability are central to NEMA’s operations. Until recently, the agency was bedeviled by cases of misappropriation of funds, diversion of relief materials meant for disaster victims and other unholy acts that rendered disaster management ineffective.
Through an entrenchment of transparency and accountability in its operations, the agency has improved on its service delivery, a development that influenced the Senate Committee on Special Duties to advocate for more support to strengthen its operations and capacity to manage the increasing spate of disasters in the country.
Part of this is the successful resumption of Air Ambulance Services with complete maintenance of the agency’s aircraft and meeting civil aviation requirements. We recall that in 2014, NEMA had introduced its first air ambulance for emergency health care. The airplane, inaugurated at the Trauma Centre of the National Hospital, Abuja, was for quick transportation of patients with emergency cases.
However, in 2018, air ambulance service operations were grounded due to routine maintenance and regulatory requirement. It is worthy of note that the repair of the aircraft was completed last year and returned from France.
What is seen today in disaster management in the country through the operations of NEMA is a combination of factors among which is the commitment by a leadership team that has undertaken some reforms in disaster management in the country.
Compared to past disaster episodes in the country, the agency’s response to the 2022 flood challenge in the country was an improvement when put side by side with the enormity of the challenge posed by the volume of flood.
It is important also to point out the urgency of developing solutions to emerging challenges that will enable the agency to perform its functions in line with international humanitarian standards. This, in our opinion, requires a collaborative effort with other government ministries and departments.