Army, NEMA Strengthen Partnership Ahead of Flood Season

By Zainab Uzomah| Abuja

The Nigerian Army and the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) have pledged to deepen collaboration to improve disaster preparedness and emergency response as flood risks increase across the country.

In a statement issued by the Acting Director of Army Public Relations, Colonel Appolonia Anele, the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lieutenant General Waidi Shaibu, said the Army remained committed to supporting national disaster management and humanitarian operations as part of its constitutional responsibility.

Speaking during a courtesy visit by the Director-General of NEMA, Mrs Zubaida Abubakar Umar, to the Army Headquarters in Abuja on Friday, Lieutenant General Shaibu described the agency as a key strategic partner in responding to national emergencies.

He said the Nigerian Army had established specialised Disaster Response Units (DRUs) in all six geopolitical zones to enable rapid deployment to flood-prone and other high-risk areas.

To strengthen inter-agency preparedness, the Army chief directed the Chief of Training (Army) to grant NEMA access to the Land Forces Simulation Centre for joint tabletop exercises and scenario-based planning aimed at improving coordination before emergency deployments.

Lieutenant General Shaibu also called for intelligence-led disaster risk management, urging NEMA to intensify monitoring of dams and reservoirs and strengthen regional cooperation on transboundary water management to reduce the impact of seasonal flooding.

He said effective disaster response depended on early warning systems, timely information sharing and close collaboration among relevant agencies.

The Director-General of NEMA, Mrs Zubaida Abubakar Umar, commended the Army for its continued support during disaster response operations across the country.

She said forecasts indicated that 33 states face a high risk of flooding during the current rainy season and disclosed that simulation exercises would be conducted in vulnerable states, including Oyo, Cross River and Adamawa.

Mrs Umar also appealed for increased military support in engineering, aviation and search-and-rescue operations to strengthen the country’s disaster response capacity.