NEMA Flags Off 2026 Flood Preparedness Campaign in Anambra

The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) says strengthening disaster risk governance requires collective responsibility, stressing the need to prioritise prevention over reaction in managing disasters across the country.

The Director-General of NEMA, Mrs. Zubaida Umar, stated this on Friday at the flag-off of the 2026 National Preparedness and Response Campaign (NPRC) on flood disaster and related hazards held at the Deputy Governor’s Conference Hall, Government House, Awka, Anambra State.

Umar, who was represented by the South-East Zonal Director of NEMA, Mr. Walson Ibarakumo, said the campaign forms part of nationwide efforts to disseminate early warning information to vulnerable communities and strengthen stakeholder collaboration on disaster risk reduction.

She noted that the initiative was designed to promote early and coordinated action aimed at safeguarding lives and livelihoods during the 2026 rainy season.

“The campaign will strengthen preparedness, reduce the impact of recurrent floods and safeguard livelihoods,” she said.

In his remarks, the Deputy Governor of Anambra State, Dr. Onyekachukwu Ibezim, commended NEMA for the timely commencement of the programme, describing it as critical to reducing flood-related deaths and losses in the state.

Ibezim said flooding had become an annual challenge in Anambra, noting that the state government had developed long-term mitigation plans including the construction of dams, dredging of rivers, building of retention walls and provision of solar-powered lighting in high-risk areas, particularly for Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps.

A technical presentation on disaster preparedness and risk reduction, based on the 2026 Seasonal Climate Prediction, was delivered by Dr. Evans Ugoh, who identified high and moderate flood-risk local government areas and communities in the state.

Ugoh urged stakeholders to adopt both structural and non-structural mitigation measures, including early preparedness actions, sensitisation programmes and simulation exercises to reduce vulnerability.

The engagement brought together commissioners, local government chairmen and other stakeholders, who made contributions towards strengthening flood response mechanisms in the state.

The campaign was described as successful, with stakeholders expressing optimism that Anambra State is better positioned to reduce flood-related deaths and damage during the 2026 rainy season.

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#NEMA #FloodAlert #AnambraFlood #DisasterPreparedness #ClimateRisk #Flood2026