Flooding: NEMA activates national emergency operations centre

Nigeria's National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has activated its National Emergency Operations Centre, a move designed to bolster coordination, monitoring, and response efforts for the anticipated 2026 flood season across the country. The activation, announced by NEMA Director-General Zubaida Umar at the agency's headquarters in Abuja, underscores a proactive approach to managing potential climate-induced disasters.

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The activation of the centre is aimed at improving the coordination, collation and processing of reliable data and information on the 2026 flood situation to enhance preparedness, planning and response.

The primary objective of the newly inaugurated center is to refine the coordination, collation, and processing of reliable data and information pertaining to the 2026 flood situation. This enhanced data management is crucial for improving preparedness, strategic planning, and the overall effectiveness of response mechanisms. Director-General Umar emphasized the necessity for the center to generate and disseminate factual, timely, and dependable information, which is vital for informed decision-making and efficient management of flood risks and other climate-related emergencies.

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The importance of ensuring that information generated and disseminated by the centre is factual, timely and reliable to support effective decision-making and efficient management of flooding and other climate-induced disasters.

NEMA highlighted that prompt access to credible information is indispensable for enabling early action, facilitating the strategic deployment of resources, and safeguarding lives and livelihoods in communities identified as being at risk. This activation is part of NEMA's broader strategy to strengthen national preparedness and foster better coordination among all relevant stakeholders throughout the upcoming rainy season.

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Timely access to credible information was essential for early action, deployment of resources and the protection of lives and livelihoods in communities at risk of flooding.

Tony Ephraim, NEMA's Deputy Director for Planning, Research, and Forecasting, assured the Director-General of the center's commitment to its mandate. He stated that the center's members would diligently work on monitoring, data collection, analysis, and information management to support timely decision-making and coordinated responses to flood emergencies and other climate-related hazards. The center will function as a central hub, harmonizing information from various sources to ensure effective preparedness and response throughout the rainy season.

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We will work diligently to ensure effective monitoring, data collection, analysis and information management to support timely decision-making and coordinated response to flood emergencies and other climate-related hazards.