Floods Now National Security Issue, Says Federal Gov’t

The federal government has elevated flood prevention to a national security priority with the unveiling of a new Anticipatory Action Framework on Floods to move disaster response from reactive to early, coordinated response.

The new framework, which includes scientific and traditional data-gathering methods, triggers for early action, and a consolidated budget for flood response, aims to build resilience in states and communities prone to seasonal floods.

Speaking on Wednesday during the official submission of the draft framework and consolidated budget by the Anticipatory Action Task Force (AATF) at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, Vice President Kashim Shettima said Nigeria must now believe in science and pursue a roadmap for disaster prevention.

“Disasters are security issues. Over the years, we have only been reacting instead of practising proactive disaster management. By seizing this initiative, and believing in science, we have carried out all the due processes of finding a roadmap,” he said in a statement by his spokesman, Stanley Nkwocha.

The Vice President applauded President Bola Tinubu for his leadership on disaster preparedness, even as he also praised the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) for coordinating the process.

“We will engage all the major stakeholders in the Nigerian project for them to come and support us. Collectively, we can marshal resources and address our core issues,” VP Shettima added.

Earlier, Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Prof Nentawe Goshwe Yilwatda, said the new framework represents a paradigm shift in disaster management.

“We are shifting from reaction to recovery. We are also shifting from losses to prevention. That is the main purpose of why we are here today.

“We looked at the evidence available. In 2004 alone, about 1.2 million people were displaced, and about 1.3 million hectares of arable farmlands were destroyed by the floods, and in terms of cost, it was over $1 billion in losses. If we can allocate just one per cent of that money, we can save much more than what we lost,” the Minister said.

Also, the National Security Adviser (NSA), Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, stressed the need to act swiftly and proactively, noting that “often, natural disasters are outside of our control, but reaction is ours.

“And this is what matters the most — the ability for us to get ready for a situation that is not under our control. Despite all the resources one has, as long as one is not in a position to anticipate and be able to react, one is likely going to suffer the worst consequences of natural disasters,” Ribadu warned.

Providing details of the work done by the taskforce, Special Assistant to the President on Humanitarian Affairs and Development Partners, Mrs Inna Audu, said the group had followed a defined timeline since March, starting with the inauguration of the AATF, conducting a validation workshop, and completing data collection through scientific and traditional methods for evidence-based decision making.

She explained that a Strategic Communication Working Group had been created under the NSA’s office, within the National Counter Terrorism Centre (NCTC), headed by Major General Adamu Garba Laka.

“This is to implement a tiered communication and advocacy plan based on information from the Trigger Group and to ensure that states, LGAs, and communities are well informed, engaged, and prepared to act on the early warning triggers,” she said.