From Okwe Obi, Abuja
Director General, National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Mustapha Ahmed, has warned Nigerians to brace up for severe flooding this year.
He spoke against the backdrop of the 2023 seasonal climate prediction released last week by the Nigerian Meteorological Agency that there will be normal to above normal rainfall in some states of the federation tasked Nigerians to take steps to mitigate the expected floods.
Ahmed, who spoke in Abuja, at the weekend, with the hindsight of last year’s flood that devastated many communities across the states, said it was imperative for states government to support their emergency management agencies (SEMAs) to be operationally ready and also establish local emergency committees for grassroots participation in disaster management.
Addressing participants at the close of an international disaster management executive seminar for Nigerian emergency management stakeholders organised by NEMA with facilitators from Bournemouth University Disaster Management Centre (BUDMC), Ahmed said the agency had already begun its preparations as evidenced in the capacity training seminar.
“This year, I expect stakeholders, including the states government to ensure early preparation and to match words with action,” he said.
While commending the course participants and resource persons for a robust engagement, he advised heads of SEMAs that participated at the seminar to cascade the knowledge gained to their various states.
The NEMA director general said the seminar was conceived to improve capacity of disaster managers and specifically packaged to address common challenges in Nigeria with world class ideas.
A team member from BUDMC, Lee Miles, who spoke on behalf of the facilitators, said the five-day intense engagement covered very important and practical areas of disaster management that would benefit the nation.
Also, Chairman, Bayelsa State Emergency Management Agency, Walaman Igrubia, thanked NEMA director general for the foresight in organising the seminar.
He said the lessons learnt would benefit states in their preparation and response to disasters. He also appealed the NEMA to sustain the kind gesture of capacity development for SEMAs.