A civil‑society organization, ActionAid Nigeria, has urged the federal and state governments to develop contingency plans in response to severe flooding warnings issued by the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMET) and the Nigerian Emergency Management Agency (NEMA). The call was made by ActionAid Nigeria’s Country Director, Ene Obi, during a press conference in Abuja, where she also asked the coastal‑state governments to share their contingency plans with the public.
Obi emphasized that the time has come for Nigeria—especially the states that were heavily hit last year, such as Bayelsa, Jigawa, Anambra, Cross River, Akwa Ibom, Lagos, Abia, and Edo—to activate their flood‑preparedness plans and communicate them to the communities at risk, thereby minimizing potential losses. Represented at the conference by ActionAid Nigeria’s Director of Programmes, Suweba Dakwanbo, Obi noted that both national and state contingencies must take into account NiMET’s forecast of a severe dry spell lasting 15 to 21 days—or longer—between June and early July in some northern states, as well as the agency’s warning of heightened meningitis risk in the extreme northeast.
Obi highlighted that floods in the past year affected 1.4 million people across 31 states, displaced over 700 000, and resulted in an estimated 500 deaths. She urged the government to lead anticipatory actions to prevent further flood disasters and expressed ActionAid Nigeria’s openness to partnerships that support families still recovering from the 2022 floods.
“Preventing flood disasters and their impact on lives and livelihoods is a collective responsibility, with the Nigerian government taking the lead,” Obi said. “We want to see the government spearheading anticipatory action and contingency planning, alongside NGOs, corporate entities, philanthropists, and other stakeholders.” She added that ActionAid Nigeria welcomes collaborations with corporate organisations and philanthropists through its community‑sponsorship initiative to aid families and communities still recovering from the 2022 floods and those likely to be affected this year.
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