To lessen the effects of floods on communities in Bauchi State, the National Emergency Management Agency has started the 2025 National Preparedness and Response Campaign.
Speaking during the campaign’s inauguration on Friday, Mr. Bitrus Samuel, NEMA’s deputy director of general services, stated that the agency had raised awareness because Bauchi was one of the states most at risk of flooding.
In response to an early information warning issued by the Nigerian Meteorological Agency, he said, NEMA’s campaign was a strategic strategy for readiness and reaction to floods in Nigeria.
According to him, NEMA is taking preemptive measures because of the crucial information they provided.
In order to highlight the implications of those projections for disaster management, we have asked for a national coordination session. Important players agreed that we should disseminate this information at the local level.
Since Bauchi is one of Nigeria’s high-risk states, we have come here to raise awareness among the populace that flooding is likely to occur there.
“That’s why we’re here to convey this message to them, asking them to use their local structures and the stakeholders at the state level to take tangible action,” he said.
“Disasters are local because they originate in the communities,” he noted, adding that the action was necessary because it gave the communities better understanding about how to prevent and respond to the disaster.
He emphasized that “the community is better prepared if they know what they need to do before the disaster strikes them, and that is what we have come to do here.”
Representatives from the Nigerian Army, Police, Fire Services, and Civil Defense Corps are among the stakeholders in attendance for the campaign’s debut.
As one of the villages that had previously experienced floods and fires, the agency also raised awareness of the Muda Lawal market.
Speaking to the market leaders, Mr Simon Katu, an official from NEMA, said the agency was in the market to give support to the preparedness that the market people were making this year.
He explained that at the end of the engagement, there would be a behavioural change, improvement in response, understanding among stakeholders and communities, so that in the event of disaster, the outcome would be minimal.
“We want the nation to be better prepared, as disaster preparedness, management, and response are not the work of the government only.
“We are saying that people should come out, volunteer, form community groups that will assist because self-help helps before the government’s assistance,” he said.
Responding, Hajara Wanka, the state’s Commissioner for Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management, said the state government had given the matching orders in ensuring adequate preparation and response in all the disaster-prone communities across the state.
Wanka stated, “Governor Bala Mohammed has created an enabling environment for partnership and collaboration, aimed at improving the lives of Bauchi State citizens.
“The importance of working together to mitigate the impact of disasters such as floods and fires.”According to PUNCH Online, among the stakeholders present at the campaign launch were representatives of the Nigerian Army, Police, Fire Services, and Civil Defence Corps. The agency also carried out the sensitization at the busiest Muda Lawal market, which is one of the communities that have previously been affected by flood and fire. She described the meeting as a crucial step toward building resilient communities, mitigating risks, improving preparedness, and ensuring effective response and recovery in the face of flood disasters in Bauchi State.
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