The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has sent an emergency response team to Kogi State following the flooding of many villages.
This measure is intended to help the agency monitor the flood situation across the country more proactively, according to a statement released on Wednesday.
According to the statement, the team includes search and rescue specialists who will provide technical support to the Kogi State Emergency Management Agency and other stakeholders undertaking rescue and evacuation operations, as well as evaluations in affected villages.
Mrs. Zubaida Umar, Director-General of NEMA, stated that the agency has also deployed mobile water purifying equipment to assist in providing emergency clean water to impacted people.
Mrs. Zubaida Umar, Director-General of NEMA, stated that the agency has also deployed mobile water purifying equipment to assist in providing emergency clean water to impacted people.
It should be noted that NEMA recently issued an advisory to states designated as being in danger of floods, asking them to prepare ahead of any potential events.
While issuing the notice, Umar also stated that the agency has alerted all of its zonal, territorial, and operational offices, as well as prepositioned key equipment for fast reaction, such as search and rescue and individual evacuation to safer, higher ground.
Adamawa, Taraba, Benue, Nasarawa, Kogi, Edo, Delta, Anambra, Bayelsa, Cross River, Rivers, and Kwara are the frontline states recognised as flood-prone.
“With this activation and deployment, NEMA offices nationwide and technical officers will collaborate with the relevant state ministries, departments, and agencies to establish emergency operation centres for the coordination and activation of local actors for the emergency response.
“These efforts will include advocacy for at-risk communities, evacuation planning, identification of safe high ground for temporary shelters, and the prepositioning of equipment for evacuation and rescue. Sector leads have also been alerted to prioritise the needs of displaced persons in internally displaced persons camps and other safer locations,” the statement added.
The agency is also collaborating with the Military Disaster Response Units, the Nigeria Police Force, and the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps to deploy its Disaster Response staff, Police Marine operatives, and Disaster Management Units when necessary.
The Nigerian Red Cross Society has also been instructed to activate its volunteers.
“The Director-General of NEMA advises residents in flood-prone areas, particularly those in communities along the Rivers Benue and Niger, to remain vigilant and cooperate with emergency service providers as the agency continues to closely monitor the situation,” the statement concluded.
Over 200 towns in Kogi State have already been submerged, and the flood calamity has affected roughly two million people.
The impacted local government areas in the state are Kogi, Lokoja, Adavi, Ofu, Ajaokuta, Idah, and Ibaji.
According to data from NEMA’s website, as of October 14, 2024, 1,659 individuals were affected, 517 were displaced, and 1,601 dwellings were damaged throughout the state.
So far in 2024, flooding has hit 33 states and 208 local governments around the country.
The data also revealed that 317 lives were lost, 1,279,094 people were harmed, 713,691 were displaced, 117,071 buildings were damaged, 2,852 injuries were incurred, and 180,828 hectares of cultivated farmlands were devastated by the flooding across the country.
According to the data, 317 people died, 1,279,094 people were impacted, 713,691 were relocated, 117,071 buildings were damaged, 2,852 were injured, and 180,828 hectares of cultivated farmlands were devastated by the floods across the country.
