NEMA Issues Flood Warning in the North
The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) under the auspices of NEMA Sokoto Operations office embark on sensitization and awareness campaign to ensure adequate emergency preparedness, mitigation and response to flood disaster.
Worried by the repetitive nature of flooding for more than a decade, NEMA has discovered that for planning any flood management measures, reliable, accurate, timely information, publicity, sensitization and awareness campaigns are required to reduce the anticipated impacts, to this end.
The Director General, NEMA, AVM Muhammad Alhaji Mohammed who was represented by the Head of Planning, Research and Forecasting Unit, Tukur Abubakar stated that the agency is taking bold steps to tackle the impending likely flood incidents that may occur as predicted by NIMET.
He said, the predicted normal rainfall may result in flash flooding particularly in the North West which, Zamfara, Sokoto and Kebbi states falls in here. Hence, there is need for sensitization of NEMA, and other relevant agencies.
“The remote causes of flood includes construction on waterways, constant indiscriminate dumping of refuse in drainages especially polythene bags and non-distilling of drainages which led to blockage of waterways is one of associated major risk factors in floods.” He added..
The aims and objectives of the sensitization and awareness campaign which was held in Gusau is:
To sensitize the communities living in the flood prone areas.
To pay advocacy visits to the relevant states, MDAs and DRUs in the respective areas.
To inspect the available high and safe grounds for possible utilization as IDPs camp when needed.
To encourage people living along the flood plains and waterways to relocate to safe areas during the peak of the rains.
To assess the impact of damage on the communities already ravaged by the flooding.
To identify relevant stakeholders to ascertain their level of preparedness.
The Honourable Commissioner of Environment, Zamfara state, Dr. Nurudeen Isah and the SA to the state Governor on Humanitarian Affairs and Management, Faika Marshall led the sensitization campaign team to the exercise.
Ali Mohammed
Information Officer
NEMA Operations Office, Sokoto.
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NEMA Commences Sensitization on Flood preparedness, Response and mitigation
Following the recent prediction of possible flooding across the country, Director General NEMA AVM Muhammadu Muhammed retired has called on response agencies and other stakeholders to ensure preparedness and activate mitigation efforts by educating the general public on effects of floods and how to respond to flood disaster.
As a result of the Early warning alert by NEMA, Officials of NEMA North East zonal office led by the Acting Zonal coordinator Ishaya Isah Chonoko were in various IDP camps and host communities within Maiduguri to enlighten Internally Displaced persons IDPs on preventive measures to avoid flooding.
Other stakeholders present at the sensitization exercise include officials of Borno state Emergency Management Agency,BOSEMA Ministry of Environment,Borno state Environmental protection Agency BOSEPA, Zulumgogreen NGO and Nigerian Red Cross Society.
Abdulkadir Ibrahim
Principal Information Officer NEMA North East Maiduguri
13.08.2020
