The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has issued a warning that more than 30 states in Nigeria could experience severe flooding during the 2026 rainy season. The agency called on state governments to intensify flood prevention measures to mitigate potential damage.
NEMA Director-General's Appeal
NEMA Director-General Zubaida Umar made the appeal during a courtesy visit and stakeholders' engagement in Adamawa State, according to a statement released on Wednesday. Umar urged governors and local authorities to act swiftly to reduce the likely impact of flooding across vulnerable communities.
She advised states to revive monthly environmental sanitation exercises, clear blocked drains and waterways regularly, strengthen State Emergency Management Agencies, and ensure that Local Emergency Management Committees are fully operational at the grassroots level.
Climate-Related Risk Management Framework
According to the statement, NEMA has developed a 2026 Climate-Related Risk Management, Preparedness and Mitigation Framework in response to flood forecasts nationwide. The agency also mapped flood-prone communities through its Flood Early Warning System to support disaster preparedness efforts by federal, state, and local councils.
Cross River State Governor's Concerns
Meanwhile, Cross River State Governor Bassey Otu has raised concerns over recurring flood disasters in the state, describing the situation as a growing ecological threat requiring urgent and coordinated intervention from all levels of government.
Speaking while receiving NEMA Director-General Zubaida Umar and her delegation, including Chairman of the House Committee on Disaster Management and Emergency Preparedness Joseph Bassey, during a courtesy visit as part of the 2026 National Flood Preparedness and Awareness Campaign, Otu said flooding has remained a painful and persistent challenge for many communities across the state.
Otu stated: "Flooding has continued to confront our state year after year, and it is already common knowledge that Cross River remains one of the high-risk states in the country. As far back as 2019, I had engagements with relevant authorities on the need for proactive measures to mitigate the devastating impact of these floods, but unfortunately, the problem has persisted."
The governor lamented that several intervention projects initiated to address the menace were either abandoned or left incomplete, worsening the plight of affected communities. According to him, investigations revealed plans for drainage systems and flood channels designed to manage excess water effectively, but the projects were never fully realized.
Otu warned that beyond the immediate destruction caused by flooding, the recurring disasters now pose broader environmental dangers capable of destabilizing the ecosystem if decisive action is not taken. "What we are witnessing is no longer just seasonal flooding; it is gradually becoming an ecological problem with far-reaching implications for our environment and the survival of vulnerable communities," he added.
