The Director-General of National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Mr Mustapha Ahmed says the agency will continue to map out vulnerable communities in response to the 2022 Seasonal Climate Prediction (SCP) released by the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet).
He disclosed this on Tuesday during a two-day Experts’ Technical meeting to analyse the 2022 SCP, in Abuja.
Ahmed, represented by Mr Alhassan Nuhu, Director, Relief and Rehabilitation, NEMA, observed that the impact of flood and other disasters on people’s lives and property depended on the country’s level of preparedness.
The NEMA boss stressed the need to educate and enlighten the predictions to vulnerable communities to stimulate early actions against climate risks in the country.
He expressed belief that the early warning messages to be developed in collaboration with stakeholders would help to prepare states chief executives, and state emergency management agencies.
According to NEMA Director General: “Local emergency management committees and other stakeholders to take necessary action required to facilitate risk reduction in their respective jurisdiction.
“NEMA will also continue to map vulnerable communities based on the prediction as indicated by our climate risk monitoring agencies to enhance and direct enlightenment campaign in critical states,” he said.
Earlier, Mr Vincent Owan, Director, Planning, Research and Forecasting, NEMA, informed that the document developed at the end of the meeting would assist stakeholders to prepare, mitigate and respond to climate induced disasters.
Mr Owan maintained that since disaster management is multi-jurisdictional, the agency would continue to build capacities of both its staff and stakeholders through sensitisation, training, simulation exercises and sustained collaboration.
Contributing, Prof. Andrew Obafemi, Director, Centre for Disaster Risk Management, University of Port Harcourt, advised Nigerians to heed to information relating to disaster risk reduction in their communities.
“Disaster is everyone’s business, so when we are talking about preparedness, individuals need to follow the templates provided so that if they are conscious of this, we will have a reduced impact and adaptation will be better,” he said.
In it’s report released earlier in the year, NiMet, had predicted the earliest onset of the planting season to begin by Feb. 28 in the coastal parts of the country.
“While the onset of rainfall is expected to commence between April and May in the central states and eventually within June to July in the northern states.
“The onset of the planting season is predicted to be normal over most parts of Nigeria with a few areas having it earlier while some areas having it delayed,” the report added.
The meeting attracted representatives from the NiMet, FRSC, FEMA, Red Cross, Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency (NIHSA), Ministry of Education, NSCDC, Police, NOA and academia, among others.
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