By Chibuzo Ihegboro
According to the National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA, 1,048,312 people have been affected by flooding in Nigeria between April and September 2024.
The Director-General of NEMA, Mrs Zubaida Umar, gave this report at the National Emergency Coordination Forum (ECF) in Abuja on Thursday, stating that 625,239 persons had been displaced and 259 lives lost to the disaster.
She sympathised with those affected and assured them that the Federal Government, through NEMA, would provide necessary support.
The DG said the main reason for convening the meeting was to receive updates on the flood situation and assign roles and responsibilities to stakeholders, noting that although flooding could not be totally prevented, efforts were being made to mitigate its impact.
According to the D-G, 29 states and 172 local government areas have been impacted by flooding, affecting 1,048,312 people, displacing 625,239, and resulting in 259 deaths. She emphasized the need for a coordinated response to the disaster.
“NEMA has activated Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps in some states and deployed additional staff to support search and rescue operations.
The agency has also provided water purification equipment and critical search and rescue tools to affected states,” he said.
Umar appreciated the support of international partners and encouraged them to continue providing assistance while monitoring the situation.
She noted that the situation was not yet overwhelming for the Nigerian government to cope with.
The Assistant Director, Search and Rescue, Wagami Madu, presented an update on the flood, reporting seven deaths in Borno as of Saturday.
Madu also mentioned challenges in Maiduguri, including inadequate serving materials and wash facilities due to the high number of people in the camp.
Mrs Emmanuela Offiong, Assistant Director, Federal Ministry of Information and National Orientation, stressed the need for proper fact-checking and communication on disaster management to avoid disinformation and misinformation.