The Director General of National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA, Mrs Zubaida Umar said that NEMA has started sensitisation programme in response to the the Nigeria Meteorological Agency(NiMet) predictions that some states will be hit by flooding in 2025.
She made this known during the flag off of a stakeholders’ engagement on 2025 Flood National Disasters and Response Campaign (NPRC), organised by the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) in Ado Ekiti, the Ekiti State Capital.
Umar, represented by Fred Anusim, the team lead and NEMA’s Head of Research and Planning, lamented the death of 150 persons in Mokwa, Niger State, where houses were submerged by flooding, saying the danger was caused by human interference with nature.
Zubaida commended NiMet and Nigeria Hydrological Service agency on their annual flood outlook that had helped in preventing calamities in the country through accurate predictions for each climatic year.
“With the use of weather satellite surveillance and flood risking modelling software, they have been able to forecast at 90% accuracy of rainfall patterns in the country for all the LGAs.
“This downscaling therefore is governments approach through NEMA to sensitize the general public. It is our hope that this exercise will achieve the purpose it was meant for, especially for the people of Ekiti State and the communities identified by the predictions.
“The incident in Mokwa, Niger State, was an unfortunate one were over 150 lives have been lost due to human interference with natural setting of geological structure of the earth through sand mining”, she said.
Earlier , the EKiti State Deputy Governor, Chief Mrs Monisade Adupe ordered the Local Governments and Ministry of Urban and Physical Planning to start marking illegal structures obstructing waterways, for possible demolition across the state.
Speaking on the theme of the engagement: “Strengthening Resilience, Enhancing Preparedness and Response”, Mrs Afuye expressed regret that Ekiti witnessed repeated and devastating cases of flooding , fire and thunder disasters that wreaked havoc in some towns in 2024 and 2025.
The Deputy Governor, who saluted Governor Biodun Oyebanji for his huge investment in environmental safety, called on the federal government to collaborate with the state in alleviating the sufferings of the victims.
She reminded that NiMet predicted Ekiti as one of the possible flashpoints for flooding in 2025, which makes it expedient for the local government chairmen to prevent desertification, ensure regular desilting of waterways, encourage tree planting, construction of flood barriers, avoid building on flood prone axis and encourage community based disaster strategy.
“I want to appeal to NEMA and SEMA to partner the local government chairmen and take this campaign to all our council areas. They should work alongside the Ministry of Urban and Physical Planning to mark all illegal structures on our waterways for possible demolition.
“I believe this is the only way to prevent deadly and devastating flooding as well as teach those erecting illegal structures on waterways without approval a lesson”.
Mrs Afuye told the local government chairmen to work with the traditional rulers to spread the anti-flooding campaign across the state in view of the NiMet’s prediction, to avert occurrence that could throw the state into avoidable crisis.
“Recently, the state has witnessed various forms of disasters ranging from fire outbreak, rainstorm and others. The state government has been associating with the victims by giving them relief materials and cash gifts to alleviate their sufferings.
“We are soliciting for the assistance of the federal government through NEMA for the allocation and release of relief materials . This will further complement the efforts of the state government in reducing the effect of the disasters on the victims.
“NiMet predicted that Ekiti State is one of the states that may likely be affected by flooding this year. I am therefore appealing to all the stakeholders to take proactive measures in preventing the occurrence of flood disaster in our dear state”.
Also, the General Manager, Ekiti State Emergency Management Agency(SEMA), Mr. Oludare Asaolu, said the proactive steps taken by Governor Biodun Oyebanji in dredging of waterways and drainages, has mitigated cases of flooding in Ekiti.
Asaolu warned that recurrent incidences of flooding can cause death, contamination of water sources, disturb business activities and outbreak of contagious and lethal diseases that can increase mortality rate among the populace.
Also speaking, the Chairman, Ekiti State Council of Traditional Rulers, Oba Ayorinde Ilori-Faboro, appealed to Federal Government to focus attention on how to curb perennial erosion ravaging many communities in the state, describing this as the most troubling crisis bedeviling some towns.
Participants at the engagement include: Chairmen of Local Governments, operatives of the Nigeria Police Force, Federal Road Safety Corps, Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps, Red Cross, Nigeria Immigration Service, Nigeria Fires Services, National Orientation Agency, civil servants, traditional rulers, traders, among others.
