By Desmond Ejibas
Port Harcourt – The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has launched its 2026 flood disaster response campaign as flooding threats loom in Rivers and 22 states across the country.
NEMA’s Director-General, Mrs Zubaida Umar, flagged off the exercise during a stakeholders’ engagement on Monday in Port Harcourt.
The campaign is themed, “Strengthening Disaster Risk Governance for a Resilient Nigeria.”
Represented by the agency’s Acting Director, South South Zonal Directorate, Mr Eric Ebhodaghe, Umar said the campaign was designed to drive early and coordinated action to save lives and livelihoods before the imminent flood.
”The campaign further seeks to promote proactive disaster management through stronger institutions and define clearer responsibilities among stakeholders.
“Each year, lives are lost, livelihoods are disrupted, and public and private infrastructure worth billions of naira are damaged.
“Communities also bear the burden of injuries, displacement, and the loss of life savings due to unmitigated flood events and their secondary effects,” she said.
Umar said the 2026 flood outlook predicted that 22 states and the FCT, covering 132 local government areas, fall within high flood-risk zones.
She added that another 14 states, covering 148 local government areas, had been classified as moderate-risk areas.
The NEMA boss explained that the agency had already convened an expert review meeting to assess the implications of the forecasts and develop strategies to minimise anticipated impacts.
She identified likely challenges to include delayed or erratic rainfall, shorter growing seasons, above-normal rainfall in some areas, prolonged dry spells, and rising temperatures.
“These factors are expected to affect key sectors such as agriculture, healthcare, transportation, energy, water supply, education, and overall public wellbeing,” she said.
Umar disclosed that NEMA had developed a 2026 Climate-Related Risk Management, Preparedness and Mitigation Framework to reduce flood impacts nationwide.
She said the framework includes capacity building for local responders, simulation exercises, strict adherence to weather advisories, prepositioning of relief materials, infrastructure integrity assessments, and development of community evacuation plans.
The NEMA boss said the agency had also identified flood risk profiles for vulnerable communities through its flood early warning system as well as procured vulnerability maps to support planning.
“Therefore, beyond this engagement with stakeholders, the agency is deploying technical teams to all states of the federation for direct community outreach.
“These efforts will be supported by State Emergency Management Agencies, Local Emergency Management Committees, and community volunteers,” she said.
Umar called on traditional rulers, religious organisations, women and youth groups, the media, and private sector to support the dissemination of early warning information.
Also speaking, the Head of Emergency and Disaster Management at the Rivers State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), Mr Tamunosiki Ogbanga, said the agency had commenced evaluation and monitoring of flood-prone areas across the state.
Ogbanga said that SEMA, under the Rivers State Ministry of Special Duties, had begun reviewing possible mitigation measures and monitoring flood flashpoints to reduce the impact of flooding on residents.
“Our plan for the evacuation of residents in flood-prone areas is part of our ongoing evacuation and monitoring exercise,” he said.
Ogbanga explained that residents in vulnerable communities would be relocated to safer locations whenever the need arises.
“Where they cannot get a safe place, SEMA will relocate them to temporary Internally Displaced Persons camps and provide the necessary support,” he added.
He reaffirmed the agency’s commitment to working with relevant stakeholders to strengthen flood preparedness and emergency response across Rivers State. (NAN)
