The Nigerian Red Cross Society (NRCS), in partnership with the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), has launched a flood simulation exercise in Lagi community of Wamba Local Government Area of the state to boost community resilience in high-risk areas.
Speaking after the exercise, the Planning, Monitoring, Evaluation and Reporting Officer (PMER) of the Red Cross in Abuja, Mr Aminu Bagudo, said the simulation exercise was to tell and show the communities, in a practical sense, how to evacuate people when floods occur.
He said flooding is one of Nigeria’s most recurring and devastating natural hazards, affecting millions of people each year.
Mr Bagudo said that by integrating community-based simulations into disaster preparedness, the NRCS aims to reduce the impact of floods on vulnerable populations and improve recovery timelines.
He explained that the exercise, which is a key component of the Italian Government-Funded Flood Resilience Project, is designed to strengthen community preparedness and emergency response capacity by replicating real-life flood scenarios.
The goal is to ensure that communities, emergency services, and government agencies are ready to act quickly and effectively before, during, and after flood events.
“This simulation is not just a drill, it’s a proactive investment in saving lives, protecting livelihoods, and ensuring that our communities are resilient in the face of increasingly frequent flood disasters.”
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He further appealed to the government on the need for proactive measures and stressed that floods should not be allowed to occur before rescue efforts are initiated.
Secretary of the Nigeria Red Cross Society, Nasarawa State Branch, Mr Jerry Danjuma Kuje, urged inhabitants of riverine communities and those in flood-prone areas to relocate to safer ground.
He said the simulation exercise would test coordination protocols, evacuation processes, and information dissemination strategies under simulated emergency conditions.
Mr Kuje further urged communities that might be affected by flooding to move all their food items, medications, people with disabilities, and the elderly to higher ground.
He said the exercise would also serve as a platform for agencies to evaluate their flood response plans, share lessons learnt, and strengthen collaboration.
Others included the National Space Research and Development Agency (NASRDA), United Nations System in Nigeria (UNSA), Sub-Group of the National Orientation Agency (NOA), and the State Ministry of Information.