The National Economic Council (NEC) has urged all 36 states to reinforce their State Emergency Management Agencies (SEMAs) and called on the Federal Ministry of Finance to promptly release emergency funds to tackle the anticipated effects of flooding.
This directive was issued in a statement on Thursday by Stanley Nkwocha, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Communications (Office of the Vice President).
The council made the resolution after Zubaida Umar, Director General of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), presented the agency’s plans for flood preparedness and response in 2025 during the council’s meeting.
The NEC instructed local government areas and communities to take charge of local risk reduction efforts, actively engage in awareness campaigns, and report early signs of flooding to the relevant authorities.
To support these efforts, the council directed the Federal Ministry of Finance to disburse funds to each state, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), and selected federal agencies for this year’s flood preparedness activities.
NEMA’s presentation outlined its progress since 2024, including the development of the National Disaster Risk Reduction Strategy and Action Plan (2024–2027), supported by the United Nations, and the ongoing validation of the Nigeria Hazard Risk Countrywide Analysis for 2024.
The agency has enhanced coordination between civil and military actors in disaster risk reduction and relief, working closely with military disaster units, the Nigeria Police, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, and the Nigerian Red Cross.
For 2025, key actions included expert analysis of meteorological forecasts, with NEMA delivering flood predictions to state governments between May and June.
The agency has also strengthened SEMAs, established Local Emergency Management Committees (LEMCs), and activated the Emergency Coordination Forum involving military, police, and civil defence disaster units.
The statement added that the Emergency Operations Centre became operational on 29 May 2025, with both national and zonal centres now active. NEMA has deployed search and rescue equipment to high-risk states and continues to cascade early warning messages from national to community levels through the National Preparedness and Response Campaign.
However, NEMA identified several persistent obstacles to effective flood response, including inadequate drainage systems, delayed data from states, insecurity in flood-prone areas, underperforming SEMAs, and inactive LEMCs.
Other challenges include poor enforcement of urban planning regulations, weak adherence to building codes, and substandard waste management and environmental hygiene.
In response, NEC has urged state governments to fully empower SEMAs, operationalise LEMCs, enforce planning laws and building regulations, institutionalise monthly environmental sanitation, and prioritise disaster preparedness funding in their annual budgets.