Towards an enhanced inter-agency collaboration and coordinated, proactive management of floods and other climate-related hazards in Nigeria, the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) yesterday hosted a joint meeting of relevant government agencies and development partners ahead of the planned national launch of the Early Warnings for All (EW4All) initiative.

The engagement in Abuja provided a platform for the participating agencies and partners to strengthen coordination, clarify institutional roles and responsibilities, and agree on practical steps towards the successful national launch and implementation of the EW4All initiative in Nigeria.

The meeting reaffirmed the collective resolve of the participating institutions to work together towards an effective, people-centred and inclusive early warning system that supports anticipatory action, strengthens disaster preparedness and reduces the impact of floods and other hazards across the country.

Welcoming participants, the NEMA Director-General, Mrs Zubaida Umar, described the meeting as an important milestone in Nigeria’s efforts to strengthen its disaster risk management architecture through effective inter-agency collaboration.

She recalled that the United Nations Secretary-General described Early Warnings for All as a “survival agenda for humanity,” stressing that for Nigeria, the initiative should equally be regarded as a national security and development priority.

Umar further noted that the collaboration aligns with Nigeria’s commitments under the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction, the Sustainable Development Goals and the Paris Agreement’s adaptation agenda, as well as President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, particularly in protecting lives, safeguarding development gains and building resilient communities.

In his remarks, the Executive Vice Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Dr Aminu Maida, underscored the critical role of effective communication in ensuring that early warning information reaches people at risk promptly.

He affirmed the NCC’s commitment to supporting the initiative, stressing that all the institutions represented at the meeting have critical and complementary roles to play in protecting Nigerians from disasters and other unforeseen events.

Also, the Director-General of the National Space Research and Development Agency (NASRDA), Dr Matthew Adepoju, highlighted the importance of space science and technology in disaster risk management and assured the meeting of NASRDA’s readiness to contribute its technical expertise, data, and technological capabilities towards strengthening the national early warning system.

Similarly, the Director-General of the Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency (NIHSA), Ahmed Mohammed, noted that effective early warning enables authorities and communities to take appropriate measures before disasters occur, thereby reducing their potential impact on lives, livelihoods and infrastructure.

He commended NEMA for convening the meeting and affirmed NIHSA’s commitment to providing the hydrological data, forecasts and technical support required for the successful implementation of the initiative.

Also, the Director-General of the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet), Prof. Charles Anosike, reaffirmed the agency’s commitment to strengthening collaboration towards the delivery of timely and actionable weather and climate information.

Meanwhile, Mr Muliro Mashauri, who represented the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR), commended the NEMA chief and heads of the participating agencies for the level of commitment demonstrated towards the EW4All initiative.

He described the meeting as a significant example of inter-agency cooperation, noting that such a gathering of heads of key institutions to collectively address early warning and disaster risk reduction was particularly encouraging within the West African region.