NEMA, Stakeholders Seek Early Preparation To Mitigate Flooding

Worried by the 2023 seasonal climate prediction, which has predicted impending floods in some states in 2023, the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has called for early preparations to mitigate the coming disaster.

The director-general of NEMA, Mustapha Habib Ahmed made the call during the experts technical meeting on 2023 climate related disaster preparedness and mitigation strategy in Abuja, yesterday.

Ahmed, while speaking to participants at the events, said, “As emergency managers we must always strive to develop clear and practical early warning systems that will enable our partners and the public to match early warning with early action to avert loss of lives and severe disaster impacts across socio-economic sectors. This becomes necessary in the face of ever growing climatic and extreme weather events as powered by climate change and variability not only in Nigeria but across the world.”

The NEMA boss said, “There is no doubt that today’s meeting has become more relevant and timely in consideration of our recent experiences of widespread floods and related disasters that have affected several states of Nigeria.

“The 2022 flood disaster which is unprecedented in the history of Nigeria has wreaked havoc in all the states of the country. Many of the affected communities are still yet to recover from the impacts of the devastating event. The 2022 flood disaster coupled with its associated hazards is therefore a wakeup call for emergency responders, development agencies and partners to work assiduously to avert a repeat of the incident especially in consideration of the heightened level of vulnerability in several communities of our country.

“I am convinced that the experts we have assembled here will come up with comprehensive and well-articulated early warning messages to the public. This will include vulnerability and risk mapping which can be downscaled to states and local governments authorities, NEMA partners and the general public. We cannot rest on oars until we have built a critical mass of resilient Nigerian citizens. Citizens that are conscious of their duty of care to one another and willing to take those actions that will save lives and safeguard livelihoods in the event of imminent disasters.”

Also, on the sideline of the event, the director-general of the Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency (NIHSA), Clement Nze said the federal government is partnering with a Chinese company to tackle flooding in River Niger.

Meanwhile, the minister of water resources, Suleiman Adamu has confirmed that the federal government has signed an agreement with some Chinese consortia on a master plan for training and flood control in the River Niger.

The minister signed on behalf of the federal government, while Mr Endre Deri and Mr Ferenc Viragh, representatives of the CRBE Consortium, signed on behalf of the corporation.

The partnership is currently in the first phase of its goal to build a sustainable economy for Nigerians.

They are China Water Resources Pearl River Planning, Surveying and Designing Company Limited and the CRBE Consortium of China Railway Beijing Engineering Group Company Ltd.