Enhancing Nigeria’s Flood Risk Management: NEMA’s 2025 Strategy Assessment
NEMA initiated a stakeholders’ forum to assess flood risks and strategies related to the 2025 Seasonal Climate Prediction. Emphasizing the importance of multi-sectoral collaboration, NEMA’s Director General, Zubaida Umar, advocated for evaluating past response efforts to improve preparedness. The event included discussions on hazard risk analysis conducted with UNICEF and involved various sectors to reinforce disaster management measures.
The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) convened a stakeholders’ forum to analyze the Seasonal Climate Prediction (SCP) for 2025 issued by the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet). This forum focuses on assessing flood risks and developing early mitigation strategies. NEMA’s Director General, Zubaida Umar, emphasized the necessity for multi-sectoral collaboration in disaster preparedness, response, and recovery efforts, remarking on the urgent need to improve upon previous humanitarian responses.
Umar outlined that the forum’s objectives include evaluating the preparedness and response measures taken in 2024 across federal, state, and local government levels. She stated that identifying successes and gaps is crucial for enhancing future disaster management efforts and adapting strategies for 2025. The insights gathered will facilitate timely decision-making for all authorities involved, ensuring informed responses to emerging climatic challenges.
Furthermore, NEMA has engaged in a partnership with UNICEF to conduct a comprehensive hazard risk analysis for Nigeria, with the results to be shared with stakeholders. This collaboration is aimed at strengthening disaster preparedness measures by utilizing the SCP data to enhance emergency response planning, thus encouraging proactive strategies against climate-related incidents.
Dr. Onimode Abdullahi Bandele, the Director of Planning, Research, and Forecasting at NEMA, highlighted the importance of intersectoral participation, indicating that representatives from agriculture, health, transport, power, and water resources sectors participated in the discussions. The forum also brought together emergency management officials, military representatives, and academic experts, with a shared commitment to addressing climate-induced disasters.
In conclusion, NEMA’s stakeholders’ forum aims to enhance Nigeria’s flood risk management through collaborative efforts and strategic evaluations of past responses. By focusing on the Seasonal Climate Prediction for 2025, the agency aims to identify gaps and improve disaster preparedness across various sectors. The collaboration with UNICEF underscores a data-driven approach to inform emergency response planning, ensuring timely action from authorities at all levels.
Original Source: internationalfireandsafetyjournal.com
