The National Economic Council (NEC) has called for the strengthening of State Emergency Management Agencies (SEMAs) across Nigeria’s 36 states and urged the Federal Ministry of Finance to release emergency funds to mitigate the impact of anticipated flooding in 2025.
The resolution followed a presentation by the Director General of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Zubaida Umar, during the NEC meeting on the country’s flood preparedness and response plan.
This was disclosed in a statement issued on Thursday by Stanley Nkwocha, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Communications (Office of the Vice President).
According to the statement, NEC directed that local governments and communities take ownership of local flood risk mitigation efforts by engaging in awareness campaigns and reporting early warning signs to the 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 relevant Federal Agencies for this year’s flood preparedness,” the statement added.
NEMA’s presentation highlighted progress since 2024, including the development of the National Disaster Risk Reduction Strategy and Action Plan (2024–2027) in collaboration with the United Nations, and the ongoing validation of the Nigeria Hazard Risk Countrywide Analysis for 2024.
The agency has also enhanced civil-military coordination for disaster response through partnerships with the military, Nigeria Police Force, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, and the Nigerian Red Cross.
In 2025, NEMA undertook key preparedness actions such as expert reviews of meteorological forecasts and communication of flood predictions to state governments between May and June. The agency also strengthened SEMAs, established Local Emergency Management Committees (LEMCs), and activated the Emergency Coordination Forum involving key security and disaster response units.
The Emergency Operations Centre was activated on May 29, 2025, and is now fully operational with national and zonal centres. NEMA has deployed search and rescue equipment to high-risk states and continues to disseminate early warning messages to communities through its National Preparedness and Response Campaign.
However, the agency identified persistent challenges affecting effective flood response, including weak drainage infrastructure, delayed data reporting from states, insecurity in flood-prone areas, underperforming SEMAs, and inactive LEMCs.
Other concerns include poor compliance with urban planning and building regulations, inadequate environmental sanitation, and poor waste management systems.
In response, NEC urged state governments to:
- Fully strengthen and fund SEMAs,
- Operationalise LEMCs,
- Enforce physical planning laws and building codes,
- Institutionalise monthly environmental sanitation,
- And prioritise disaster preparedness in annual state budgets.
