The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) in collaboration with Kano State Government, have pledged to strengthen partnership to enhance effective disaster risk management to avert flooding in the current 2023 raining season.
Director General of the Agency, Mustapha Habib Ahmad, made the disclosure while flagging off a one day sensitization campaign, ‘Downscaling of Disaster Early Warning Measures To Grassroots For Effective Life-Saving Early Actions during 2023 Rainy Season’ on Thursday in Kano.
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He said the essence of the engagements is to take the disaster management campaign downscale to grassroots level by engaging traditional rulers, district heads, local government chairmen and other key stakeholders.
“This initiative will no doubt enable us take risk’ informed decisions and to match early warning with early action and enhance effective disaster risk management, safeguard our national food security and engender sustainable socio-economic growth in Kano state in Nigeria,” Habib Ahmad said
He said NEMA drawing from its mandate of disaster risk management decided to take the initiative to downscale early warning alerts to States, Local Government Authorities and communities at risk of flood disaster and associated hazards”
The DG said the sensitization will enable them make appropriate plans that can save lives, livelihoods, critical national assets and the natural ecosystem which is the bedrock for sustainable development.
“Flood disaster in Nigeria has become predictable and yet annually recurring with substantial human and material costs.
“We have decided to support sub-national level actors including States, Local Governments and communities to take ownership of their responsibility of disaster preparedness, mitigation, response and recovery”
“In 2022, Nigeria experienced the most devastating flood disaster, more than 4 million people affected, over 2 million persons displaced and 665 death, 355,986 houses and 944,989 hectares of farmlands destroyed.
“We must therefore strive to support our Local Emergency Management Committees (LEMCs) with adequate capacity building, funding and equipment to take Disaster Risk Management to the communities to be able to build safe and resilient communities and by extension a safer and resilient Nigeria.
On his part, the state governor, Alhaji Abba Kabir Yusuf, said the state government is working round the clock to ensure all illegal structures and illegal drainages erected on water ways are removed to allow free flow of water to prevent flood.
Represented by the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Dr Abdullahi Bappa Bichi, the governor said the state underestimated population of over 25 million residents produce more than 4,000 tons of waste on daily basis.
He commended NEMA for choosing Kano to lunch the Flagg of Downscaling Disaster at grassroots level.
“NiMet predicted 23 local government across the state which include Ajingi, Dala, Dawakin Kudu, Gezawa, Kabo and Kumbutso among others are at risk of experiencing flood, which state government flood response engage in evacuation of refuse across the state to ensure Kano is clean”
AgroClimateNews reports that Mr Daniel Etim-Obot, from NEMA made a presentation on the role of NEMA, States and local government on “2023 climate related disaster preparedness and mitigation strategies.
Representative from the Five emirate council, Bichi, Rano, Gaya, Kano, Karaye, members of Kano State Executive Council, Commissioner Special Duties, Local Government Chairmen and Imams among others across the 44 Local Government were among the participants.
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