Following the onset of the rainy season, the federal government has held a technical stakeholder meeting to review national multi-sectoral flood emergency preparedness and response plan to ensure that lives of Nigerians and properties are safeguarded and losses mitigated in states across the country.
Speaking during the meeting Monday in Abuja, the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Hajiya Sadiya Umar Farouq, said that the objective of the technical review is to enable all relevant stakeholders (especially state and community levels) make input into the draft document, which will serve as a national framework and guideline for ‘all-things flood in Nigeria’; including implementing risk reduction strategies, clarifying roles and responsibilities of stakeholders, and designating a funding mechanism for flood management activities in Nigeria.”
She said: “As you are aware that each year many people lose their lives, their homes and sources of livelihood due to flooding. For instance, in 2012, which is arguably the worst flood incident in the country, over 7 million persons were affected. Flooding has also been exacerbated in both frequency and magnitude due to climate change, other humanitarian crises and, quite frankly, poor coordination of flood risk management cycle from a policy and operational point of view.
“It is against this background that in August 2020, President Muhammadu Buhari directed this Ministry to work with the Federal Ministry of Water Resources and other relevant ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) as well as relevant stakeholders to develop a National Plan that will coordinate various flood management responses and interventions across the country, to reduce the impact of floods.
“In carrying out the presidential directive, the ministry hosted an inter-ministerial committee meeting with the ministers and heads of agencies of over 17 MDAs in September 2020. The major outcome of that meeting was the inauguration of an Inter-Ministerial Technical Working Group that was tasked with the responsibility of drafting a national multi-sectoral flood emergency preparedness and response plan that is being presented today.
“The Technical Group that drafted this plan included Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency (NIHSA), Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) and National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA). Therefore, we are advocating for an Integrated Flood Management approach, where flooding is effectively managed using multi-sectoral expertise, and flood waters are harnessed for beneficial purposes such as agriculture, electricity, etc.
“The plan identifies that flooding risks are cross-cutting and multi-sectorial and was, therefore, developed as an inter-ministerial, inter-agency, inter-governmental and multi-sectorial collaboration and coordination framework necessary for the successful implementation and execution of the Plan. This is to paint a picture of how cross-cutting flood issues are in Nigeria and why we are holding a stakeholder review today.
“However, we know that there are many stakeholders involved in managing floods; i.e. communities at risk, traditional and religious leaders, dam managers and town planners, the media, private sector, government MDAs, State Emergency Management Agencies (SEMA) and many more, hence you have been invited to study the plan and make your inputs.
“Therefore the objective of this technical review is to enable all relevant stakeholders (especially state and community levels) make input into the draft document which will serve as a national framework and guideline for ‘all-things flood in Nigeria’; including implementing risk reduction strategies, clarifying roles and responsibilities of stakeholders, and designating a funding mechanism for flood management activities in Nigeria.”
