Vice President Shettima Orders Immediate Flood Preparedness as Rains Intensify
Vice President Kashim Shettima has directed the immediate activation of a national early warning and coordination system to strengthen Nigeria’s preparedness for flooding as the rainy season peaks.
The directive was issued during a meeting of the Anticipatory Action Task Force at the Presidential Villa, where Shettima called for a shift from reactive disaster response to proactive prevention and early action.
He instructed the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and other relevant agencies to urgently review implementation plans, align with approved budgets, and fast-track the release and deployment of resources for flood mitigation.
Shettima also ordered the operationalisation of a “Fusion and Trigger Room” within NEMA to serve as a national coordination hub, integrating weather forecasting, risk monitoring, inter-agency coordination, and rapid decision-making.
The National Economic Council recently approved about ₦83.2 billion to support nationwide flood preparedness and early response, with officials noting that the intervention aims to reduce loss of lives, protect livelihoods, and strengthen resilience in vulnerable communities.
Flooding has remained a recurring crisis since then. In 2023, tens of thousands of people were affected across multiple states, while in 2024, dozens were killed and over 40,000 displaced in renewed flooding incidents. In 2025, severe flooding in parts of Niger State alone left more than 150 people dead and displaced many others, highlighting the persistent threat.
Experts attribute the growing severity of floods in Nigeria to climate change, increasingly intense rainfall, poor drainage infrastructure, and periodic water releases from upstream dams, including Cameroon’s Lagdo Dam.
