The Director General of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Mrs Zubaida Umar, has advised residents of flood-prone communities across the country to take proactive measures to protect their lives and property as the rainy season intensifies.

Umar, in a statement signed by the agency’s Head of Media Unit, Manzo Ezekiel, said the current period of heavy rainfall requires the activation of community-level flood mitigation measures to reduce the impact of flooding.

She urged residents to pay attention to early warning alerts issued by relevant government agencies and relocate to safer, higher ground whenever there is a risk of flooding.

She also advised the public to avoid driving or walking through floodwaters, refrain from dumping refuse into drainage channels, and promptly report emergency situations to the appropriate authorities for swift response.

Umar stressed that preparedness and early evacuation remain the most effective ways of preventing avoidable loss of lives and reducing the impact of flooding during the peak of the rainy season.

She said NEMA’s Zonal Directors and Heads of Operations Offices had been directed to intensify community-based awareness campaigns on flood preparedness, strengthen collaboration with State Emergency Management Agencies (SEMAs), Local Emergency Management Committees (LEMCs), traditional institutions and other relevant stakeholders, and coordinate timely search and rescue operations where necessary.

She reaffirmed the agency’s commitment to continuous monitoring of the flood situation across the country, while also working closely with relevant stakeholders to ensure timely response and the provision of humanitarian assistance to affected persons. (Daily Trust)