NEC to States: Strengthen Emergency Agencies, Act on Flood Risks

The National Economic Council (NEC) has directed all 36 states of the federation to bolster their State Emergency Management Agencies (SEMAs) and ensure full operational readiness in anticipation of potential flood disasters across the country.

This call was made after the Director General of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Zubaida Umar, delivered a presentation on Nigeria’s 2025 flood preparedness during the council’s meeting at the State House, Abuja.

The resolution, disclosed in a statement by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Communications (Office of the Vice President), Stanley Nkwocha, also urged the Federal Ministry of Finance to immediately release emergency funds to states, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), and relevant federal agencies for this year’s flood response.

According to the statement, “Local government areas and communities were specifically directed to take ownership of local risk mitigation efforts, engage actively in awareness campaigns, and report early signs of flood risk to appropriate authorities.”

NEMA’s briefing highlighted the agency’s recent progress, including the launch of the National Disaster Risk Reduction Strategy and Action Plan (2024–2027), developed with support from the United Nations, and the ongoing validation of the Nigeria Hazard Risk Countrywide Analysis for 2024.

To strengthen coordination, NEMA also deepened partnerships with the Nigerian military, police, civil defence corps, and the Red Cross to improve civil-military disaster response.

The statement further noted that early in 2025, NEMA conducted expert reviews of meteorological forecasts and shared flood predictions with states between May and June. It has since activated Emergency Operations Centres at national and zonal levels, and deployed search and rescue equipment to high-risk states.

“The Emergency Operations Centre was activated on May 29, 2025, with national and zonal centres now operational. NEMA has deployed search and rescue equipment to high-risk states and continues downscaling early warning messages across all 36 states to local communities through the National Preparedness and Response Campaign,” the statement read.

Despite these efforts, NEMA raised alarms about persistent challenges hampering flood response across Nigeria—chief among them: weak drainage systems, late data reporting from states, insecurity, poorly functioning SEMAs, and inactive Local Emergency Management Committees (LEMCs).

The council also identified deeper structural issues including poor adherence to building codes, ineffective urban planning, and inadequate waste management systems as worsening factors.

In response, NEC urged governors to take urgent action by strengthening SEMAs, activating LEMCs, enforcing building and planning regulations, institutionalising monthly sanitation exercises, and allocating funds for disaster management in their annual state budgets.