Ibadan: The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has charged stakeholders at the grassroots to take actions that will reduce the adverse impacts of flood during the 2025 rainy season. The Director-General of NEMA, Zubaida Umar, highlighted this during a stakeholders’ engagement on flood disaster organized by the agency at Ona-Ara Local Government in Ibadan, Oyo State.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, the program focused on the 2025 National Preparedness and Response Campaign (NPRC) on flood disaster and related hazards for effective early actions to save lives and livelihoods during the rainy season. Umar, represented by NEMA’s Southwest Zonal Director, Mr. Saheed Akiode, emphasized the need for collaboration with all tiers of government to manage disaster risks and associated hazards.
Umar pointed out that recent flood events have led to the loss of lives and destruction of infrastructure worth billions of Naira. She highlighted the insights provided by the 2025 Seasonal Climate Prediction and the 2025 Annual Flood Outlook by the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMET) and the Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency (NIHSA) regarding rainfall patterns and flood scenarios. NEMA has developed the 2025 Climate Related Risk Management Implication, Preparedness, and Mitigative Actions to guide flood impact reduction efforts.
The agency has also implemented a flood Early Warning System and produced vulnerability maps to guide communities at risk. Umar noted that some LGAs in Oyo State are predicted to be affected by flooding in 2025, listing 11 high and moderate flood risk LGAs.
Community-wide participation is crucial in managing disaster risk, Umar emphasized, urging collaboration to protect communities, infrastructure, and socio-economic activities. Mrs. Ojuolape Busari from Oyo SEMA encouraged residents to avoid dumping refuse in waterways. Chief Sulaiman Akinola, a traditional leader, urged Community Development Associations and Landlord Associations to maintain water channels and discourage building on flood-prone areas.
