Ben Ezechime, Enugu
The Director General of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Mrs Zubaida Umar, has disclosed that 25 lives were lost, 166 persons injured and 9,352 households directly affected by 2024 flooding in Enugu State.
She said this at a stakeholders’ engagement on National Disaster Preparedness and Response Campaign (NPRC) 2025 held in Enugu.
The engagement had the theme, “Strengthening Resilience, Enhancing Preparedness and Response: Taking Disaster Risk Management to the Grassroots to Save Lives, Restore Normalcy and Build Communal Resilience Across Nigeria.”
Represented by a Director in NEMA, Dr Evans Ugoh, the director general noted that 55,094 individuals were affected, and 3,001 households displaced within 2024 flooding in the state, while all these led to losses to communities, families and individuals.
On the engagement, the director general said that the programme was organised primarily to inform state and local governments and emergency management stakeholders about the 2025 seasonal climate predictions.
She said that the 2025 seasonal climate prediction and flood outlook was forecast by the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NIMET) and Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency (NIHSA) respectively.
“This is with a view to reminding the stakeholders about their responsibilities in flood disaster management. We all know the impacts of flood in the society, and actions to be taking to prevent and mitigate the impacts as stakeholders in disaster management.
“NEMA have developed climate related risk implications, preparedness, mitigation and response actions to reduce the would-be impacts of the 2025 floods, based on the predictions by NIMET and NIHSA.
“The Agency have embarked on various activities aimed at preventing and mitigating the expected impacts of the disaster. The Agency has written to state governors informing them of the outcome of the 2025 climate predictions in their states,” she said.
Responding, the Director of Enugu State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), Mrs Chinasa Mbah, said that SEMA had written to chairmen of the 17 council areas in the state about the prediction and the roles expected.
Mbah noted that the agency had mapped out plans to carryout sensitisation as well as drainage and waterways monitoring in the flood prone communities within state as part of it down scaling plans.
“We are ready to collaborate with various stakeholders and agencies to see that our people are protected while losses are mitigated to the barest minimum,” she said.
The Commandant of NSCDC, Enugu State Command, Dr Elijah Willie, assured that the Corps is ready to respond to any emergency situation as the first responders operating closer to the people.
Willie, who was represented by a Deputy Corps Commandant, Mr Victor Duruegbesonu, said that NEMA, SEMA and disaster victims could reach the corps offices at local government and divisional office to get “rapid assistance.”
The State Coordinator of Local Emergency Management Committee (LEMC), Mr Emeka Oko, appreciated the support NEMA, SEMA, Nigerian Red Cross Society, Federal Fire Service and security agencies had been given to his committee to functional optimally.
“LEMC is ready to take the flood sensitisation to communities and the grassroots to ensure that negative incidents that occured in 2024 do not repeat itself,” Oko said.
In a related development, during a stakeholders’ flood sensitisation to Amechi Idodo community in Nkanu East Local Government Area (LGA), NEMA director general urged the community to imbibe good environmental practices; and ensure drainages and waterways are opened.
Responding, the Traditional Ruler of the community, Igwe Hyacinth Edeani, assured that his community would be faithful in carrying out NEMA’s instructions and advice for the benefit of all.
Edeani assured that he would ensure that the Community Flood Response Committee inaugurated by NEMA would be guided to function optimally to help in flood mitigation.
“As a community we are grateful to NEMA and SEMA for their assistance for some years now. We are joining hands with these agencies to do everything humanly possible to ensure no negative flood development takes place here,” he assured.
