By Miriam Humbe
Director General of the National Emergency Management Agency, (NEMA), has said that the already experienced floods in some parts of the country this year, raises calls for concerted effort so as to address it and many other disasters.
The Director General said this at the National Emergency Coordination Forum (ECF) meeting on Thursday in Abuja.
He said that Coordination is a vital component of disaster management which needs to be given adequate attention.
Ahmed said in line with NEMA’s mandate of coordinating emergency preparedness, mitigation and response activities across the country, the Agency has deemed it fit to resuscitate the ECF.
He said: “This is to foster partnership, collaboration and cooperation among relevant stakeholders in emergency management in the country.
“The platform is apt in view of the various emergencies we are currently being faced with, in Nigeria.
“The insurgency in the North East, the banditry challenge in the North West, the communal conflicts in North-Central and the flood disaster across the country are points of reference.
“You will recall that the 2022 flood disaster claimed 665 lives, displaced2,437,411 persons and affected 4,476,867 persons.”
NEMA’s Director General said the ECF is therefore an avenue for stakeholders to come together to discuss humanitarian challenges being faced by the citizens as a result of these disasters/emergencies and to proffer ways of mitigating their impacts on citizens.
Ahmed enumerated steps taken by NEMA To Mitigate flood disasters this year as follows:
“As part of efforts by the Agency to prepare for and mitigate possible flood disaster this year, various steps have been taken including the production and dissemination of Climate – Related Disaster Preparedness and Mitigation Strategies based on the 2023 Seasonal Climate Prediction (SCP) released by NiMet.
“Also, the Annual Flood Outlook (AFO) by NIHSA; production of flood risk maps; writing letters to State Governments whose states may likely be affected by the impending climate-related disaster in 2023 based on NiMet’s 2023 SCP and NIHSA’s 2023 AFO on the need to take proactive steps; de-escalation of the Early Warning messages to States; TV and radio appearances; TV and radio jingles and issuing press releases, among others.”
He said in the event of occurrence of flood or other disasters, NEMA will continue to work with other government partners to provide succour including food and non food items to affected people in the IDP camps and the host communities while building their resilience through livelihood supports, especially with the distribution of agricultural inputs and other livelihood items.
He appreciated the complementary effort and support of the United Nations System in Nigeria and International Organizations the UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator, in responding to the needs of affected people across the country especially in the North Eastern part of Nigeria.
Ahmed reassured of NEMA’s resolve to sustain this coordination of emergency and humanitarian activities for efficient service delivery.
He also appreciated the various sector leads and co-leads for ensuring proper coordination of stakeholders’ activities at the sector level.
As they deliberated on salient issues bordering on affected people through the various sectors today, he hoped that solutions would be proffered to ameliorate the suffering of the people.
Dignitaries at the event included the Director General of NIHSA, Statistician General of the Federation, representatives of UNICEF, Federal Ministry of Environment, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Federal Ministry of Water Resources, Nigerian Army, NSCDC, Police, Federal Fire Service and National Human Rights Commission among others.
