In a proactive move to mitigate the impact of flooding across vulnerable communities, the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has launched its 2025 Flood Preparedness, Mitigation, and Response Campaign in Jalingo, Taraba State. This strategic campaign is part of a nationwide initiative to sensitise and prepare residents in flood-prone areas ahead of the peak rainy season.
Strengthening Community Resilience
The 2025 campaign is themed:
“Strengthening Community Resilience for Flood Risk Reduction in Nigeria.”
It reflects NEMA’s focus on not just responding to disasters but empowering communities with the knowledge, tools, and coordination needed to reduce their vulnerability to natural hazards especially floods, which remain one of the country’s most persistent and devastating seasonal threats.
The campaign launch in Taraba brought together stakeholders from government, emergency agencies, security forces, humanitarian organisations, and local community leaders. It was held in recognition of the high flood risk facing many parts of the state due to heavy rainfall forecasts and river overflow potential.
Informed by Climate and Hydrological Forecasts
This campaign is backed by data from two key national agencies:
- The Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet)
- The Nigerian Hydrological Services Agency (NIHSA)
These agencies earlier released their 2025 Seasonal Climate Prediction (SCP) and Annual Flood Outlook (AFO), which forecast above-normal rainfall in many regions, including Taraba. Several local government areas within the state have been categorised as “high risk” zones for potential flooding.
In response, NEMA developed a detailed Climate-Related Disaster Risk Preparedness Plan, outlining mitigation strategies for state governments, local authorities, farmers, and households.
NEMA’s Strategic Approach
Representing the NEMA Director-General, the agency’s Deputy Director of Relief and Rehabilitation emphasised that early preparedness remains the most cost-effective way to manage disasters. He stated that the 2025 campaign is built around four major pillars:
- Community Awareness and Sensitization
Educating residents about flood warnings, emergency numbers, safe zones, and how to react when floods strike. - Early Warning Dissemination
Collaborating with local government officials, religious institutions, and media to spread real-time weather alerts and risk communication. - Simulation Exercises and Capacity Building
Training local emergency response teams and volunteers to act swiftly in the event of a flood. These include search and rescue drills and first-aid skills. - Stakeholder Coordination
Strengthening partnerships among federal, state, and local authorities to ensure unified response strategies and efficient deployment of relief materials when necessary.
Local Response in Taraba
The Taraba State Emergency Management Agency (TASEMA) is leading the local coordination. During the campaign launch, the Executive Secretary of TASEMA reiterated the state’s commitment to reducing flood casualties and losses in 2025. She admitted that although there are logistical challenges, the agency is ramping up community-level outreach, and Governor Agbu Kefas has approved additional support to bolster the state’s preparedness efforts.
TASEMA is also working on:
- Identifying and mapping high-risk communities, especially those along the Benue River and in low-lying areas.
- Encouraging relocation from flood-prone settlements where necessary.
- Organising town hall meetings and distributing information in local languages.
- Equipping local emergency teams with boats, life jackets, and other rescue tools.
Practical Advice to Citizens
During the launch, NEMA issued practical guidance to residents in flood-prone areas:
- Clean gutters, drainages, and waterways regularly to reduce flood blockages.
- Avoid building on floodplains or blocking natural water channels.
- Farmers are advised to plant early or adopt climate-smart agricultural techniques that align with the predicted rainfall patterns.
- Rainwater harvesting systems are encouraged to reduce runoff and store water for later use.
Residents were also reminded to listen to weather updates from credible sources and to take government warnings seriously.
Flooding continues to be a national concern, with recurring incidents in multiple states every year. Losses range from destroyed homes and farmland to loss of life and displacement. In 2024 alone, over a million people were displaced by floods across 28 states.
By launching the preparedness campaign early, NEMA hopes to shift the narrative from reactive emergency response to anticipatory, community-driven flood resilience. Taraba’s inclusion in the early phase of this year’s campaign underscores the agency’s concern for states facing dual threats of river overflow and infrastructure weaknesses.
Following the Taraba launch, NEMA is expected to replicate similar campaigns in other flood-risk states. The agency has hinted at deeper collaborations with traditional rulers, faith-based organisations, and local youth groups to ensure the message of preparedness filters down to the grassroots.
The flood season is far from over, but with government and community efforts now aligned, the goal is clear: minimise avoidable losses and protect lives.
