The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has identified 12 Nigerian states and 43 Local Government Areas (LGAs) as high-risk zones for potential flooding in 2025.
NEMA’s Director-General, Zubaida Umar, disclosed this during a strategic meeting with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) in Abuja, focused on improving emergency flood response and long-term disaster preparedness.
Umar revealed that in 2024, flooding affected over 5.2 million people across 35 states, claiming 1,237 lives, destroying 116,172 homes, and displacing more than 1.2 million individuals. The disaster also wiped out over 1.4 million hectares of farmland across 401 LGAs, severely impacting livelihoods and infrastructure, including roads, bridges, and health facilities.
Representing the DG at the event, Assistant Director of Disaster Risk Reduction, Simon Katu, attributed the increasing severity of floods to climate change, inadequate urban drainage, and population pressure.
Katu noted, “There was widespread flooding throughout 2024 and early 2025, leading to significant loss of life, infrastructure damage, and disruption of economic activities.”
The agency also highlighted the Mokwa flood disaster, which left over 3,000 people affected, 1,005 displaced, and claimed more than 100 lives.
As part of proactive measures, NEMA has launched a nationwide preparedness and response campaign targeting at-risk communities. “Last year, we engaged 24 states; this year, we’ve extended our reach to all states to enhance community awareness and resilience,” Umar stated.
She also announced upcoming simulation exercises in Anambra and Kano States to strengthen local emergency response capabilities.
JICA’s Project Formulation Advisor, Keisuke Matsushita, emphasized the urgency of building Nigeria’s disaster response systems through technical collaboration. He proposed forming a committee to explore capacity-building initiatives in Japan, pending government approval.
“We’re committed to a long-term partnership and open to further discussions on logistics and training,” Matsushita said, reaffirming JICA’s dedication to disaster management support.
In response, Umar established a five-member technical committee chaired by Idris Abubakar Mohammed, NEMA’s Director of Disaster Risk Reduction. The team is tasked with coordinating with JICA to develop a detailed framework for training and capacity-building.
Umar urged the committee to begin work early next week to ensure timely implementation of the initiative.
