The Director General National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Zubaida Umar, has disclosed that 11 Local Government Areas in Anambra State: Ogbaru, Anambra East, Anambra West, Ayamelum, Idemili North, Onitsha North, Nnewi North, Idemili South, Onitsha South, Ihiala and Ekwusigo are under high and moderate flood risk, and these are already listed in the earlier NEMA communication to the Government of Anambra State.
The NEMA DG stated this in Awka, the state capital on Wednesday, during 2024 downscaling of flood early warning strategies for early actions to save lives and livelihoods during the rainy season in Anambra State.
According to the NEMA Boss, “The devastating impacts of flood over the years especially that of 2012 and 2022 have served as a wakeup call to all tiers of Governments and their line Ministries, Department and Agencies (MDAs) to collaborate with the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) to manage disaster risks and associated hazards. In the recent past, lives have been lost, means of livelihood and infrastructure amounting to billions of Naira have been destroyed by floods. Our citizens have equally suffered injuries and lost their life savings due to unmitigated incidences of floods and secondary hazards.
From North to South and East to West, straddling vast swathes of land, river banks, coastal areas, built up environment, farmlands, economic and industrial centers, floods have continually impacted negatively on Nigerian citizens. The rainfall and flood advisories contained in the Seasonal Climate Prediction (SCP) and Annual Flood Outlook (AFO) of the Nigerian Meteorological Agency and Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency (NIHSA) respectively, have provided us valuable early warning alerts. Consequently, all of us are expected to take actions that will drastically reduce the adverse impacts of floods on the entire landscape and the Nigerian population, with emphasis to the most vulnerable persons living in communities identified to be at risk of inundation during the year.
Umar, further stated that NIHSA has specifically stated that in 2024 148 LGAs in 31 States are predicted to be within the high flood risk areas while 249 LGAs in 35 States including FCT are considered to fall within the moderate flood risk areas.She added that the remaining 377 LGAs are forecasted for the low flood risk areas and these flood risk areas are presented with their degree of vulnerability to serve as a tool for governments at all levels to develop risk reduction measures to avert disaster losses during the rainy season.
She called on public and private institutions, humanitarian and non-governmental organizations to leverage on these early warnings to support the efforts of government institutions. Umar also urged sectors of agriculture and food security, Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH), education, health, transportation, protection and security, to set up mechanisms for disaster preparedness and risk reduction based on the early action strategies.
“It is in this regard that the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) convened a two-day Experts Technical Meeting of relevant stakeholders in April, 2024 to review the NIMET SCP and the NIHSA AFO to develop early warning and mitigation strategies for Nigeria. An Emergency Coordination Forum (ECF) was also convened on the 7th of May in Abuja to analyze the disaster risk management implications of the SCP and AFO predictions. These events were to design and incorporate direct risk communication and engagement approaches to disseminate early warning messages for early actions at state, local government and community levels. This underscores the rationale for carrying out the sensitization exercises across the country as we flag off this event in Awka, Anambra State today.
“As reflected in NEMA’s flood incidence dashboard, Anambra State has in the past suffered severe flooding in terms of spatial coverage, severe losses and damage as well as fatalities. While sympathizing with the Government and good people of Anambra State over the unprecedented adverse effects of flood risks is the past years.
“Accordingly, I call on the State and Local Governments, Traditional institutions, faith based organizations, public and private institutions and relevant stakeholders to support NEMA in this initiative of downscaling flood early warning and mitigation messages to the grassroots. I want to use this opportunity to call on our revered traditional rulers, the clergy, opinion leaders, women and youth groups and the media in Anambra State to support proactive measures that will avert the negative impacts of the floods during the 2024 rainy season.
“I find it necessary to stress that management of disaster risk in contemporary times is hinged on community participation, leaving no one behind. As we always emphasize at NEMA, ‘‘disaster management is everyone’s business’’.
We must work together to safeguard communities at risk, protect critical infrastructure and support uninterrupted socio-economic activities in Anambra State. It is not by accident that NEMA selected Anambra State, the Light of the nation for this event. It is in recognition of the status of Anambra State as a focal point for exchange of goods and services and positive ideas that will permeate the entire South East region, Nigeria and beyond.
“I urge you to accord this event the very serious attention it deserves in consideration of the identified vulnerability of the populations especially in those Local Government Areas and communities at risk of flooding during the year. It is my hope that today’s event will go a long way in reducing the impacts of the annually recurring floods and to safeguard the private and communal and livelihoods of the good people of Anambra State. This is the guaranteed path of driving socio economic growth and development in line with the renewed hope agenda of the Federal Government under the stewardship of His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed, Tinubu, GCFR.”
The NEMA DG commended Governor Soludo for all the measures put in place by the State Government to reduce the occurrence of those avoidable losses in the State.
On his part, the Governor of Anambra State, Professor Soludo, who spoke through his Deputy, Dr Onyekachukwu Ibezim described the sensitization as apt as Anambra has continued to experience flood disaster each year causing it various degrees of loss, assuring that the government will collaborate NEMA and the State Emergency Management Agency, SEMA, to ensure that people in prone areas in the state are well enlightened to avoid casualties and preventable damages.
The Governor who appreciated the federal government for always coming to the aid of the state during flooding, pleaded for more assistance in the aspect of bringing permanent solution to flooding through construction of dams and other necessary interventions.
The Executive Secretary, SEMA, Paul Odenigbo, said, “The Anambra State Emergency Management Agency, SEMA, in collaboration with its federal counterpart, NEMA, and other relevant partners such as International Organisation on Migration, IOM, the Nigerian Red Cross, Civil Society Organisations and the Ministries of Health, Environment and Utilities have continued to engage in serious public awareness campaigns, to enlighten and sensitize stakeholders of the flood prone communities on the coming heavy downpour and its consequential flooding.”
Umar gave the assurance during her visit to Governor Chukwuma Soludo at the government house.
Meanwhile, speaking earlier during her visit to Governor Soludo at the government house, the NEMA DG, called for the set up of Local Emergency Management Committees, LEMCs, in every Local Government Area with predictable funding to manage disasters together with traditional institutions and community volunteers, even as she galvanized support for persons affected by disasters before the arrival of external assistance.
