UNICEF, Red Cross Unveil Emergency Response To Disaster In Jigawa

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), in collaboration with the Red Cross and other stakeholders, has trained hundreds of people and unveiled a roadmap for community emergency response to flooding and other disasters in Jigawa State.

The launch of the community emergency response came as the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NIMA) warned of possible flooding that may affect 17 local government areas in the state during the 2026 rainy season.

UNICEF and the Red Cross selected three local government areas among the most flood-prone areas in the state, including Hadejia, Auyo and Miga.

At the launch of the roadmap, the chairman of the Local Emergency Management Committee (LEMC) and vice chairman of Hadejia local government area, Hon. Adamu Usman, said the roadmap was developed by the participating communities.

“This document is a product of community input, and it emphasises using locally available resources combined with new techniques in preventing, mitigating, responding to, controlling, and managing any disaster, with particular focus on flooding, which remains a perennial incident year after year in our area.”

“The local committee members were trained and empowered to respond to disasters before any outside intervention arrives, and we are optimistic that such measures will boost the community’s resilience to disasters and minimise the damage,” the LEMC chairman stated.

In his speech, the director of Planning, Research and Statistics of the State Emergency Management Agency, Dr Muhammad Bala Sanusi, said the launch and training of local people on community emergency response was a welcome development. He said the agency would continue to partner with the community, state and local government on disaster management and also expand community participation.

Also, the chairman of Auyo local government area promised to support the implementation of the roadmap, which is in line with the 13-point agenda of Governor Umar Namadi, that emphasises protecting the lives, properties and dignity of the people of Jigawa.

He commended UNICEF and the Red Cross for their timely intervention and added that local governments have made provisions for emergencies in their annual budgets.

For his part, Timothy Ali Yohana, a coordinator of disaster management at the Nigerian Red Cross, said the ERP roadmap was developed in line with global best practices in disaster risk reduction. “It is a comprehensive, actionable and community-focused plan to enhance resilience and safeguard lives, livelihoods and infrastructure in flood-prone areas of Jigawa State,” he said.