The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has deployed its emergency response team to Kogi State following severe flooding that has affected numerous communities.
This initiative aims to proactively monitor the flood situation and provide vital assistance, as outlined in a statement released by the agency on Wednesday.
The response team consists of specialists in search and rescue operations who will offer technical support to the Kogi State Emergency Management Agency and other stakeholders engaged in rescue, evacuation, and assessment efforts in the impacted areas.
Director-General of NEMA, Zubaida Umar, announced that the agency has also dispatched mobile water purification equipment to supply clean drinking water to affected families. This comes in the wake of NEMA’s recent alert to states at risk of flooding, urging them to prepare for potential disasters.
Umar emphasized that all zonal, territorial, and operations offices have been activated, and critical equipment prepositioned for timely response, including search and rescue operations as well as the evacuation of individuals to safer locations.
The frontline states identified as being particularly vulnerable to flooding include Adamawa, Taraba, Benue, Nasarawa, Kogi, Edo, Delta, Anambra, Bayelsa, Cross River, Rivers, and Kwara.
“With this activation and deployment, NEMA offices nationwide will work in collaboration with relevant State Ministries, Departments, and Agencies to establish Emergency Operation Centres.
These centres will coordinate local actors for effective emergency responses,” the statement elaborated. Efforts will include advocacy for at-risk communities, evacuation planning, identification of safe high ground for temporary shelters, and the prepositioning of equipment for rescue and evacuation operations. Additionally, sector leads have been alerted to prioritize the needs of displaced persons in Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps and other secure locations.
NEMA is also coordinating with the Military Disaster Response Units, the Nigeria Police Force, and the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps to mobilize their personnel and resources as needed. The Nigerian Red Cross Society has been instructed to activate its volunteers for support.
The Director-General urged residents in flood-prone areas, especially those along the Rivers Benue and Niger, to remain vigilant and cooperate with emergency services as the agency continues to closely monitor the situation.
In Kogi State alone, over 200 communities have been submerged, displacing nearly two million people due to the flood disaster. Affected local government areas include Kogi, Lokoja, Adavi, Ofu, Ajaokuta, Idah, and Ibaji.
Data from NEMA indicates that as of October 14, 2024, 1,659 individuals have been affected, with 517 displaced and 1,601 houses damaged in Kogi State. Nationwide, 33 states across 208 local government areas have experienced flooding in 2024, resulting in 317 fatalities, 1,279,094 affected individuals, and significant damage to housing and farmland.
