Flooding: NEMA activates national emergency operations centre

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The National Emergency Management Agency has activated its National Emergency Operations Centre to strengthen coordination, monitoring and response efforts for the 2026 flood season across the country.

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The agency’s Director-General, Zubaida Umar, said this during the activation and inauguration of members of the centre at the NEMA Headquarters in Abuja on Tuesday.

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She urged the officials to be diligent, professional and proactive in carrying out their responsibilities.

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According to a statement issued by the agency, the activation of the centre is aimed at improving the coordination, collation and processing of reliable data and information on the 2026 flood situation to enhance preparedness, planning and response.

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Umar stressed the importance of ensuring that information generated and disseminated by the centre is factual, timely and reliable to support effective decision-making and efficient management of flooding and other climate-induced disasters, noting that the activation formed part of NEMA’s proactive measures to strengthen national preparedness and improve coordination among stakeholders during the 2026 rainy season.

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The NEMA boss stated that timely access to credible information was essential for early action, deployment of resources and the protection of lives and livelihoods in communities at risk of flooding.

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Also speaking, the agency’s Deputy Director, Planning, Research and Forecasting, Tony Ephraim, assured the DG of the centre’s commitment to delivering on its mandate.

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He said members of the centre would “work diligently to ensure effective monitoring, data collection, analysis and information management to support timely decision-making and coordinated response to flood emergencies and other climate-related hazards.”

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According to the statement, the centre will serve as the central hub for monitoring the 2026 flood situation, harmonising information from relevant sources and supporting coordination among stakeholders for effective preparedness and response throughout the rainy season.

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The activation comes months after NEMA and other emergency management agencies intensified flood preparedness activities following seasonal climate and flood outlooks that identified several states as being at risk of flooding during the 2026 rainy season.

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The agency has repeatedly urged state governments, local emergency management agencies and residents of flood-prone communities to take early precautionary measures to minimise the impact of flooding.

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The activation of the emergency operations centre follows a series of flood preparedness measures by the Federal Government ahead of the peak of the rainy season.

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At the presentation of the 2026 Annual Flood Outlook in April, the government reaffirmed its commitment to proactive flood management, saying it was implementing flood control projects and strengthening disaster preparedness in high-risk states to reduce the impact of flooding on lives, livelihoods and food security.

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In recent weeks, NEMA has also intensified its preparedness efforts, with the agency directing residents of flood-prone communities to heed early warning alerts and relocate to safer areas where necessary.

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The agency has equally sought stronger collaboration with the Nigerian Army and other stakeholders, warning that forecasts by the Nigerian Meteorological Agency and the Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency indicate heightened flood risks in several parts of the country during the 2026 rainy season.

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