NEMA’s relief efforts in Nigeria and beyond

Going down memory lane with focus on last year, the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has been very active in the discharge of its responsibilities through various strategic and pragmatic activities.

The spillover effects of the devastating 2012 flood that ravaged many communities which we continued in the efforts of providing assistance to the affected persons and commenced a special assessment of the situation with development various partners drawn both locally and internationally. The outcome of the Post-Disaster Needs Assessment (PDNA) is contain in the detailed report which we have submitted to the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) for information of the government and further necessary actions.

NEMA organized a National workshop on 26 -27 March 2013 which focused on the lessons learnt from the 2012 flood disaster in Nigeria, disaster management implication of the 2013 NIMET Seasonal Rainfall Prediction and flood preparedness, prevention, mitigation and response. NEMA in collaboration with Office of the Surveyor-General of the Federation (OSGOF) and National Space Research and Development Agency(NASRDA) conducted flood vulnerability mapping to identify communities at risk of flooding. The mapping was done based on the 2012 flood extent and elevation of the areas.

Presently, 17 states have been completed, placing priority on the states NIMET and NIHSA predicted would have more rainfall. The maps have been given to responsible authorities. Mapping of the remaining vulnerable states is on-going. NEMA works closely with State Governments and relevant stakeholders to achieve its mandate for effective and efficient disaster management in Nigeria. To certify the level of preparedness of States and relevant stakeholders, NEMA has evaluated their preparedness actions in response to the recommendations made in the 2013 Early Warning Message.