THE National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has inaugurated the 2026 flood preparedness and response campaign for the South-South geopolitical zone, aimed at mitigating the impact of the rainy season on Nigeria’s coastal communities.

Flagging off the campaign in Calabar, Cross River State yesterday, Director General NEMA,  Zubaida Umar, said the initiative was designed to drive early and coordinated action to protect lives and livelihoods as rainfall intensity increases.

In a statement by the agency’s national spokesman, Manzo Ezekiel, Umar, said the South-South region remains particularly vulnerable to disasters due to its coastal location, overflowing river systems, and the worsening impact of climate change.

She pointed that these factors often lead to the destruction of farmlands and the large scale displacement of residents.

“The South-South region remains one of the areas most vulnerable to flooding in Nigeria,” the Director-General noted emphasing the urgent need for proactive measures to “prevent, mitigate and respond effectively” to the anticipated flooding across the region’s at risk communities.

The DG explained that as part of the NEMA’s strategy, the 2026 Climate Related Risk Management, Preparedness and Mitigation Framework was prepared as a structured guide containing several key interventions

These interventions according to her, include capacity building for local first responders, the execution of simulation and tabletop exercises, production of vulnerability maps to guide state and local governments and the regular clearing of drainage channels and waterways.

The Director General urged traditional institutions, religious organisation’s and the media to support the agency in amplifying early warning messages.

She insisted that “Disaster management is everyone’s business.”

Umar further disclosed that NEMA would deploy technical teams to each state of the federation for direct community outreach working alongside the State Emergency Management Agencies (SEMAs) and local volunteers.

She expressed optimism that these efforts would safeguard livelihoods and align with President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.

She task the state government to intensify proactive measures for efficient flood management.

Responding, the state governor, Senator Bassey Otu, commended NEMA’s proactive approach in the quest for lasting solutions to the state’s recurrent flooding issues.

He assured that the agency of the state government’s continued commitment to strengthening disaster response mechanisms through collaborative efforts.