In an effort to manage flood risks proactively, the Director General of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Zubaida Umar, has mobilized all Zonal, Territorial, and Operation offices nationwide. These offices are collaborating with State Emergency Management Agencies (SEMAs) within their jurisdictions to carry out rescue operations and assess the situation.
According to a statement released by NEMA on Sunday, its offices are located in Lagos, Ibadan, Ekiti, Abuja, Minna, Jos, Enugu, Owerri, Port Harcourt, Edo, Uyo, Kano, Sokoto, Kaduna, Maiduguri, Yola, and Gombe.
At its headquarters, NEMA operates a toll-free emergency contact line, 0800CALLNEMA (080022556362), along with various social media platforms to receive feedback from the public nationwide.
As a result, search and rescue officers have been deployed across the states to support and coordinate rescue operations with SEMAs and other stakeholders in recently flooded areas and communities. The agency is also conducting rapid assessments to determine any additional assistance needed in the affected communities.
It said, “The rescue efforts by NEMA are in addition to the ongoing sensitization and awareness activities being carried out to alert the public of the predicted flood for necessary actions to be taken to avert negative impacts.”
On Wednesday, 3rd July, Umar was in Anambra State on flood advocacy where she discussed with the Deputy Governor who represented the Governor, and religious and community leaders, on measures to avert and mitigate floods in the state which often record severe flooding annually. She has also previously visited several states and stakeholders across the country on the same mission with plans to continue with the advocacy.
It said, “As part of its pre-rainy season flood prevention advocacy, the Agency engaged the media in the placement of flood sensitisation jingles, and held an emergency coordination forum with critical stakeholders to prepare them for the predicted disaster.
The agency also said that soon after the flood prediction, written all state governments with the list of local governments that are at risk and outlined actions required to be taken to avert or mitigate the disaster.
It said, “A number of states that heeded the advisory from NEMA have acknowledged their early actions matched with the warnings and NEMA responses that have made lots of differences.
NEMA reemphasise the flood warning while calling on all stakeholders including the state and the local government, to be prepared for the intensifying of the rain season.