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As the rains intensify across Nigeria, the fear of another devastating flood season looms large. From the urban sprawl of Lagos to the riverbanks of Lokoja, Maiduguri to Makurdi, flooding remains one of the country’s most predictable but poorly mitigated disasters. In 2023 alone, over 676 lives were lost and more than 2.4 million people were displaced across 33 states, according to the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA). But this year, a stronger sense of urgency is taking shape—driven by the renewed momentum at NEMA under the leadership of its Director General, Hajiya Zubaida Umar.
The alarm bells rang again last week after the Chad Basin Development Authority warned of the gradual release of water from the Alau Dam in Borno State. Without hesitation, NEMA’s Maiduguri Operations Office launched rapid assessments, dispatching field teams to monitor water levels across vulnerable locations, including Fori, Al Amin Daggash, Gwange, and Moro-Moro Bridge. Their findings were reassuring—water levels remained within safe bounds—but the agency is leaving nothing to chance.
“This is not the time for complacency,” said Zubaida Umar, during a recent emergency preparedness meeting in Abuja. “NEMA is operating on 24-hour alert, and our teams are fully mobilized across the country. We are committed to a proactive approach that saves lives before the first wave hits.”
Her words reflect a strategic shift in Nigeria’s disaster management philosophy—from reactive firefighting to forward-looking resilience planning. Surveillance is being maintained, early warning systems are active, and inter-agency coordination has been reinforced. These actions are part of what officials describe as a national pivot toward anticipatory disaster response.
Environmental experts say Nigeria’s flood vulnerability stems from multiple sources: poor urban planning, clogged drainage systems, illegal constructions on floodplains, and the accelerating impacts of climate change. But there are also structural failings. According to the Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency (NIHSA), at least 148 Local Government Areas are at high risk of severe flooding in 2025. These forecasts are no longer abstract warnings—they are blueprints for disaster unless acted upon.
The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA) has cautioned that, without major adaptation measures, disaster-induced displacements in Nigeria could double by 2030. This grim projection underscores the critical role of institutions like NEMA in both emergency preparedness and public education.
This year, the agency has scaled up sensitization campaigns in riverine and high-risk communities, pre-positioned relief items in key states, and strengthened collaboration with State Emergency Management Agencies (SEMAs) to ensure faster local responses. Radio jingles, town hall meetings, and media partnerships have all been deployed to increase community-level awareness.
What distinguishes the current leadership, however, is its emphasis on visibility and grassroots engagement. Umar’s frequent field visits and media briefings show a hands-on, people-centered approach—one that prioritizes early engagement over post-crisis response. “Preparedness is no longer an abstract term,” she told stakeholders recently. “It must translate into action, infrastructure, and trust at the community level.”
Yet, major challenges persist. Many state governments underfund their SEMAs, some local authorities ignore hydrological warnings, and illegal structures continue to spring up along waterways. Post-disaster rehabilitation is often delayed, weakening long-term resilience.
To make progress sustainable, experts are calling for tighter enforcement of environmental regulations, stronger legislative backing for disaster agencies, and a national budget that treats emergency preparedness as a frontline development issue—not an afterthought. While NEMA’s recent steps are commendable, systemic change requires a whole-of-government approach, from federal ministries to local councils.
Nonetheless, the agency’s proactive response in Maiduguri has been widely praised as a model of timely intervention. By acting early, NEMA prevented panic, reassured residents, and demonstrated that flood risk can be managed—if institutions act on science and warnings.
As climate-related threats intensify, Nigeria’s ability to withstand them will depend not only on nature’s unpredictability but on the strength of its institutions.
Abdulhamid Abdullahi Aliyu writes on disaster management, humanitarian response, and national development
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