NEMA sensitizes Zamfara communities to adopt flood prevention strategies

The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), has urged flood-prone communities in Zamfara to adopt strategies towards possible prevention of flooding during the year.

The Director-General, Zubaida Umar made the call at a sensitisation and stakeholder engagement programme on disaster management in Gusau on Tuesday.

Represented by the Deputy Director Relief and Rehabilitation Department, Mallam Suleiman Mohammed, Umar said the agency had identified mitigation strategies for communities at the risk during the raining season.

She said that the sensitisation programme on disaster risk management was aimed to save lives, restore normalcy and build communal resilience across the country.

The NEMA chief said that the 2025 seasonal climate prediction and annual flood outlook as provided by the relevant authorities had provided valuable insights into rainfall patterns and flood scenarios during the year.

Speaking at event with the theme: “Strengthening Resilience, Enhancing Preparedness and Response”, the NEMA D-G identified delayed onset of rains and earlier than normal cessation of rains as some of the disaster risk management implications.

She urged residents of flood-prone communities in the state to be vigilant and proactive towards adopting flood containment strategies in their environments.

Also speaking, the Commissioner for Humanitarian Affairs, Musa Kainuwa cautioned residents against the dumping refuse on drainages or waterways.

Represented by the Acting Permanent Secretary, Bashor Maradun, Kainuwa urged residents of riverine communities to move to higher and safer areas in order to avoid casualties arising from eventual flooding.

“We should be proactive in managing our environment, we should be deliberate about keeping the waterways free to avoid blockade,”