The National Economic Council (NEC) has called for the strengthening of State Emergency Management Agencies (SEMAs) across the 36 states of the federation and urged the Federal Ministry of Finance to release emergency funds to address impending flood effects.

This was contained in a statement by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Communications (Office of the Vice President), Stanley Nkwocha, on Thursday.

The council?s resolution came following a presentation by the Director General of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Zubaida Umar, on the country?s 2025 flood preparedness and response initiatives during the council?s meeting.

It added, ?Local government areas and communities were specifically directed to take ownership of local risk mitigation efforts, engage actively in awareness campaigns, and report early signs of flood risk to appropriate authorities.

?To this end, the council directed the Federal Ministry of Finance to release funds to each state of the Federation, the FCT, and some Federal Agencies for this year?s flood preparedness.?

NEMA?s presentation detailed the agency?s progress since 2024, including the production of the National Disaster Risk Reduction Strategy and Action Plan (2024-2027) with United Nations support, and ongoing validation of the Nigeria Hazard Risk Countrywide Analysis for 2024.

The agency has also improved civil-military coordination on disaster risk reduction and relief operations through partnerships with military disaster response units, the Nigeria Police Force, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, and the Nigeria Red Cross.

Key preparedness actions undertaken in 2025, according to the statement, include expert review and analysis of meteorological forecasts, with NEMA communicating flood predictions to state governments between May and June.

It said the agency had strengthened SEMAs and established Local Emergency Management Committees (LEMCs), while activating the Emergency Coordination Forum involving military, police, and civil defence disaster response units.

The statement read in part, ?The Emergency Operations Centre was activated on May 29, 2025, with national and zonal centres now operational. NEMA has deployed search and rescue equipment to high-risk states and continues downscaling early warning messages across all 36 states to local communities through the National Preparedness and Response Campaign.

?NEMA, however, identified persistent challenges hindering effective flood response, including weak drainage infrastructure, delayed data reporting from states, insecurity in flood-prone areas, limited functionality of SEMAs, and inactive Local Emergency Management Committees.?

It said additional concerns included poor compliance with urban planning and building codes, alongside inadequate environmental hygiene and waste management systems.

NEC, therefore, urged state governments to fully strengthen SEMAs, operationalise LEMCs, enforce physical planning laws and building code compliance, and institutionalise monthly environmental sanitation while prioritising disaster preparedness funding in annual budgets. (Channels)

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