KADSEMA engages religious leaders on flood early warning dissemination

From Femi Oyelola, Kaduna

The Kaduna State Emergency Management Agency (KADSEMA) has partnered with development partners to engage religious leaders in supporting flood early warning dissemination across vulnerable communities in the state.

This initiative aims to mitigate the impact of flooding and other disasters in the state.

The Executive Secretary of KADSEMA, Dr. Usman Mazadu, disclosed that the state had taken proactive steps since 2023 to prevent flooding, including sensitization, clearing waterways, and enforcement against illegal structures.

He emphasized that disaster management is a collective duty involving communities and religious leaders, and that the state must not wait for disasters before acting.

The one-day workshop, themed “Leveraging Faith Institutions in Mitigating the Impact of Flooding and Other Disasters,” brought together leaders from Christian and Islamic faith groups, as well as officials from all 23 local government areas.

The engagement was in response to the 2025 flood outlook issued by NIMET and NASA, which placed Kaduna among states at high risk.

Mr. Tabat Baba, Programme Officer, Christian Aid Nigeria, said the training was informed by updated flood alerts for 13 high-risk LGAs in the state

He added that the workshop would produce actionable plans to strengthen early warning systems, with emphasis on vulnerable communities.

The initiative is supported by the European Union Humanitarian Aid and forms part of broader efforts to improve preparedness across Northwest Nigeria.

Also, it was gathered that the goal of the initiative is to establish strong two-way communication between communities and national agencies, ensuring that early warnings are timely, accurate, and community-based.

By involving local emergency committees and vice-chairmen of councils, the organizers aim to ensure that warnings reach communities quickly, enabling them to respond before floods happen.