* Shettima: We’re strengthening state, local emergency management agencies through training, technology

Deji Elumoye in Abuja 

The Federal Government is considering empowering flood-prone communities to manage their own safety as part of measures aimed at addressing the growing threat of flood-related disasters nationwide.

Vice-President Kashim Shettima, who made this public on Monday, said no amount of preparedness will produce tangible results if communities are not empowered to take charge of their safety.

Speaking in Abuja during the 2025 International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction (IDDRR), Shettima noted that while resilience cannot be guaranteed by government alone, it is reflected in how cities are planned, how businesses protect their workers, and how communities share information and look out for each other. 

Accordingly, he canvassed strong partnership with the private sector, saying the sector “must see itself as a partner in prevention, embedding risk reduction into corporate planning and investment decisions”.

Stressing the need to empower communities to manage their own safety, he said: “Our academia and research institutions also bear the responsibility of helping us generate the data, innovation and practical research we need to prepare for a safer future.

“We count on them to shape the knowledge that guides our decisions. And we expect our civil society to hold us accountable, to raise awareness and to mobilise citizens around the shared responsibility of preparedness. 

“But none of these efforts will yield results unless we empower and support our communities to take ownership of their safety. They are the foundation of whatever strategy we adopt and the heartbeat of our national resilience.”

The vice-president applauded the theme of the 2025 International Day for IDDRR, ‘Fund Resilience, Not Disasters’, saying it speaks to an often overlooked truth that: “It is far wiser, far cheaper and far more humane to prepare for disasters before they strike than to rebuild after they destroy.

“Every naira we spend today on preparedness saves many more tomorrow on response and recovery. Every investment in resilience is, in truth, an investment in the lives and futures of our people,” he added.

Shettima, however, pointed out that commitment alone is not enough. “We must match our words with action and our policies with funding,” he stated.

To fund resilience, he identified certain priority areas to invest in, including “drainage systems, not relief camps; to build stronger schools and hospitals, not temporary shelters; to support farmers with climate-smart tools, not just food aid after floods; and to train and equip our first responders before the sirens start to wail”.

According to him, this is the shift required to move “from reacting to crises to anticipating and preventing them”.

Shettima explained that following President Tinubu’s emphasis on the ‘need to treat resilience as a national policy,” the government is “integrating disaster risk reduction into every sector—from agriculture and infrastructure to education and health—while expanding early warning systems to ensure that communities receive timely alerts before floods, droughts, or disease outbreaks occur”. 

“We are strengthening state and local emergency management agencies through training, technology, and coordination support. We are developing a National Disaster Risk Financing Framework to guarantee that funding for prevention and preparedness is available when and where it is needed. 

“And we are deepening partnerships with development partners, the private sector, and research institutions to drive innovation and resilience building at all levels,” he said.

Earlier, Governor of Zamfara State, Alhaji Dauda Lawal, commended the commitment of stakeholders led by the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), to strengthening Nigeria’s disaster management framework through the launch of the five-year strategic plan. 

Giving an overview of the Zamfara State emergency management framework, the governor called on stakeholders to deepen collaboration in building a safer and more resilient country, while proposing the adoption of a Public Private Partnership (PPP) model in funding disaster management in Nigeria.

Also speaking, the Minister of State for Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, Hon. Yusuf Tanko Sununu, said Nigeria, like other countries, has suffered from natural and human disasters, necessitating the current stakeholders’ meeting aimed at developing a comprehensive approach to addressing these disasters.

He emphasized the need to diversify the nation’s funding sources while reviewing Nigeria’s strategic framework to better reach underserved communities.

On her part, the Director General of NEMA, Hajiya Zubaida Umar, said the commemoration of the 2025 International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction represents a defining moment in Nigeria’s national commitment to building resilience and demanding a more proactive and better financed disaster resilience framework. 

She added that conversations at the event will help in galvanising support for innovative financing that can sustain risk reduction efforts on scale and form the core of NEMA’s plans towards strengthening Nigeria’s resilience architecture.

In his remarks, the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Special Duties, Senator Kaka Shehu Lawan, commended the DG of NEMA for organizing the timely stakeholders’ event and assured the audience that the National Assembly will continue to work with NEMA by creating an enabling environment for its efficient operations.

In the same vein, Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Disaster Management, Hon. Joseph Bassey, pledged the National Assembly’s support for NEMA, particularly the efforts to amend the NEMA Act to make the agency more effective.

In a keynote address, the Country Director of Plan International Nigeria, Dr Charles Usie, underscored the significance of adopting and deploying a global framework for disaster risk reduction in Nigeria. 

He recommended increased transparency; improved data collection and management; improved coordination and attention on early warning systems, among others, in order to transform NEMA’s mandate and focus as a modern disaster management agency.

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