National Economic Council (NEC) has directed the release of fresh funding to strengthen Nigeria’s flood preparedness and disaster management efforts, mandating support for key federal ministries, agencies and state governments ahead of the looming rainy season.
The resolution came at yesterday’s NEC meeting, presided over by Vice President Kashim Shettima.
The minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy Wale Edun confirmed that resources would be channelled to the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and other critical ministries, including Water Resources, Budget and Economic Planning, and Environment.
“Last year, funding was provided to support NEMA and related ministries. This year, we have again been mandated to put together an intervention programme to provide tangible and meaningful support for flood prevention and relief efforts,” Edun told State House correspondents after the meeting.
Edun explained that the intervention would extend beyond federal agencies, covering state emergency management agencies (SEMAs), the 36 states, and the Federal Capital Territory.
The NEC also agreed that local emergency management committees should be established and activated across all local government areas, with emergency coordination forums to be convened regularly.
The finance minister said the plan will ensure improved coordination among federal, state, and local actors, building on last year’s groundwork to deliver a more robust response to flooding.
In the meeting, NEMA’s Director General presented a detailed briefing on the agency’s 2025 preparedness. He outlined progress made, including a multi-year disaster relief and response strategy (2024–2027) developed with UNDP support; a nationwide hazard risk analysis in collaboration with UNICEF; signed MOUs with the police, civil defence, and Nigerian Red Cross disaster relief units; and partnerships with six universities offering disaster risk management programmes.
Despite these strides, NEMA identified gaps such as poor drainage systems, delays in data collection from insecure, flood-prone areas, and weak enforcement of urban planning and building codes.
In response, NEC issued a call to action to governors, urging them to:
Strengthen state emergency agencies, set up local emergency management committees,
Enforce building codes and physical planning laws, institutionalise monthly environmental sanitation and prioritise funding for disaster preparedness.
“Flooding is a shared challenge and requires a whole-of-society approach,” Edun said. “All tiers of government must be fully involved, from enforcement of planning laws to equipping emergency response teams.”
Edun revealed that emergency operation centres had been activated nationally and zonally since May 29, with equipment deployed to high-risk states. He said NEC’s renewed funding directive would ensure the momentum is sustained.
