NEMA held a stakeholders’ forum to review the 2025 SCP from NiMet, focusing on flood risk management. Director General Zubaida Umar stressed the importance of multi-sectoral collaboration and learning from past response efforts. The analysis of 2024 strategies aims to refine future preparedness for climate disasters, supported by a hazard risk analysis conducted with UNICEF.
The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) convened a stakeholders’ forum to assess the 2025 Seasonal Climate Prediction (SCP) by the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet). The goal of this forum is to analyze flood risks and enhance mitigation strategies, emphasizing the necessity for multi-sectoral collaboration in preparedness and recovery operations. NEMA’s Director General, Zubaida Umar, emphasized the need to learn from past climate challenges to refine response efforts effectively.
During the forum, Umar elaborated on the importance of analyzing the disaster response efforts from 2024. She indicated the forum’s purpose includes understanding past events, identifying successes and gaps, and adjusting climate disaster preparedness strategies for the upcoming year. Insights gained will facilitate early communication and decision-making by various authorities.
Additionally, NEMA collaborated with UNICEF to conduct a hazard risk analysis aimed at enhancing flood preparedness. Umar noted that the simplified findings will be disseminated to stakeholders, reinforcing disaster preparedness measures. The forum also explored how SCP data could influence emergency response planning and proactive measures against climate-related disasters.
NEMA’s Director of Planning, Research, and Forecasting, Dr. Onimode Abdullahi Bandele, highlighted the engagement of key sectors such as agriculture, health, transport, power, and water resources during discussions. He pointed out the importance of collective efforts from various representatives, including State Emergency Management Agencies (SEMAs) and military personnel, in managing climate-induced disasters. Attendees also shared goodwill messages reinforcing their commitment to the forum’s objectives.
The recent forum organized by NEMA was pivotal in assessing Nigeria’s flood preparedness strategies for 2025. With extensive discussions focusing on the analysis of past disaster responses, stakeholders emphasized the importance of multi-sectoral collaboration. The initiative aims to improve planning and response measures grounded in data-driven insights from a joint hazard risk analysis with UNICEF. Overall, enhancing disaster preparedness through collective efforts remains a priority to mitigate future climate-related impacts.
Original Source: internationalfireandsafetyjournal.com
