NEMA Urges Residents in Flood Prone Areas to Relocate as Heavy Rains Intensify

The National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA, has urged residents living in flood prone communities across Nigeria to relocate to safer areas as the rainy season intensifies.

In a statement, the Director General of NEMA, Zubaida Umar, advised residents to take early warning alerts seriously and activate community based flood prevention measures to protect lives and property.

She warned that the current period of increased rainfall poses a greater risk of flooding and called on people in vulnerable communities to move to higher ground whenever there is a threat of flood.

The agency also advised Nigerians to avoid driving or walking through floodwaters, refrain from dumping refuse into drainage channels, and promptly report emergency situations to the appropriate authorities for quick intervention.

According to NEMA, preparedness and early evacuation remain the most effective ways to prevent loss of lives and reduce the impact of flooding during the peak of the rainy season.

The Director General disclosed that the agency’s Zonal Directors and Heads of Operations have been directed to intensify flood awareness campaigns across the country while strengthening collaboration with State Emergency Management Agencies, Local Emergency Management Committees, traditional rulers, and other stakeholders to ensure timely response and rescue operations.

The advisory follows recent warnings by the Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency, which identified Anambra, Adamawa, Akwa Ibom, Bauchi, Benue, Borno, Cross River, Edo, Enugu, Imo, Kaduna, Lagos, Niger, and Plateau as states at risk of experiencing medium level flooding between July 14 and July 20.

NEMA reaffirmed its commitment to monitoring the flood situation nationwide and working with relevant agencies to provide timely humanitarian assistance to affected communities.