Kaduna, Kano, Katsina bolster defenses against predicted flood disasters
The states of Kaduna, Kano, and Katsina are actively implementing measures to prevent and mitigate flood disasters, especially in anticipation of the 2025 rainy season.
These efforts are a coordinated response involving state and federal agencies, as well as international partners, following predictions of widespread flooding across Nigeria by the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet).
In Kaduna State, preparedness efforts are being ramped up through various initiatives. The Kaduna State Emergency Management Agency (KADSEMA) has activated its 2025 Flood Emergency Operation and Response Strategic Team and established a fully equipped Emergency Coordination Centre.
This center is stocked with essential supplies like tents, food, non-food items, and medical supplies to serve as temporary shelters. KADSEMA has also updated its 2022 Flood Risk Map and Contingency Plan in line with NiMet’s latest forecasts and set up seven Safe Haven Centres in high-risk Local Government Areas (LGAs) such as Chikun, Kachia, Soba, and parts of Kaduna metropolis.
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Teams and volunteers are actively clearing blocked drainages and sensitizing residents across all 23 LGAs.
Usman Mazadu, the executive secretary of the Kaduna State Emergency Management Agency, stated that the state had activated its 2025 Flood Emergency Operation and Response Strategic Team, along with a fully equipped Emergency Coordination Centre.
Mr Mazadu said the centres were stocked with tents, food, non-food items, and basic medical supplies to serve as temporary shelters in the event of displacement. Mr Mazadu also confirmed that the state had updated its 2022 Flood Risk Map and Contingency Plan, in line with the latest forecasts by NiMet.
At NEMA’s zonal office in Kaduna, its head of operations, Sulaiman Muhammad, said the federal agency had pre-positioned emergency relief items and deployed search-and-rescue teams across strategic locations.
The state is also collaborating with UNICEF to provide cash assistance to over 5,000 vulnerable households to facilitate voluntary relocation from high-risk zones.
The Commissioner for Environment, Abubakar Balarabe, stated that notices had been issued to residents in low-lying areas, warning them to relocate ahead of the peak rains.
Hadiza Halid, the coordinator of ACReSAL, stated that the World Bank-supported project was addressing the root causes of flooding through catchment protection and landscape restoration.
NiMet had earlier warned of a high probability of flash floods in parts of Kaduna, including Chikun, Igabi, Jema’a, Zaria, and Soba LGAs. Officials expressed confidence that the coordinated response would minimise risks and enhance resilience as the rainy season peaks.
In Kano, the State Emergency Management Agency said it has developed comprehensive strategies and an emergency response plan to mitigate flooding across the state. The executive secretary of the agency, Isyaku Abdullahi-Kubarachi, disclosed this in an interview in Kano.
He said a high-powered committee, chaired by Deputy Governor Aminu Abdussalam, was set up to oversee the desilting of drainages across the 44 local government areas of the state.
According to him, the initiative had significantly reduced flooding in Kano in 2024.
He said the state government had also organised several stakeholders’ engagements on disaster risk management and flood mitigation to enhance coordination, collaboration, and response during emergencies.
Abdullahi-Kubarachi said SEMA had embarked on sensitisation campaigns across radio, television, markets, emirate councils, and communities to encourage residents to clear waterways and reduce flood risks. He added that the agency had prepared temporary shelters for internally displaced persons ahead of any emergency.
Abdullahi-Kubarachi said the state government would continue to collaborate with the NEMA to address flood-related challenges and safeguard lives and property. He urged the public to adhere to safety guidelines and avoid actions that could expose them to disasters, noting that such incidents could lead to economic hardship, loss of lives, and destruction of property.
He commended Governor Abba Yusuf for his proactive approach to disaster risk reduction and his continued support for emergency management efforts in the state.
NEMA’s Kano territorial coordinator, Nura Abdullahi, affirmed the agency’s unwavering support in advancing disaster preparedness, mitigation, and response efforts. He emphasised the need to collaborate with stakeholders to reduce community vulnerability to various hazards, noting that failing to take swift and appropriate action can often escalate emergency situations.
In Katsina, the state government, through its emergency management agency, had spent over N451 million to assist approximately 1,064 flood victims in the state in 2024. Governor Dikko Radda disclosed this on July 23, while receiving a donation from NEMA.
