Niger State government has reaffirmed readiness to reduce the impacts of natural disasters to the barest minimum.
The Deputy Governor of Niger State, Comrade Yakubu Garba stated this while declaring open critical stakeholders meeting on the mitigation of 2024 flood, held in Minna.
Garba noted that the 2024 prediction by the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) was a wakeup call,hence the need for stakeholders to take proactive measures that will ensure safety and livelihoods of the riverine communities across the state.
The deputy governor, represented by the Deputy Chief of Staff, Bello Ibrahim, disclosed that the predicted flood poses huge threat not only to the riverine communities but also citizens of the state at large.
The meeting was organised by the Niger State Emergency Management Agency(NSEMA), in collaboration with the National Emergency Management Agency(NEMA), with the theme: A coordination meeting on state action plan towards preparedness, mitigation, and response for 2024 flood prediction.
He said: “The State Governor in his efforts to improve the infrastructure across the stateis determined to reduce the impacts of natural disasters, especially flood to the barest minimum.”
In his keynote address, the Director General, NSEMA, Alhaji Abdullahi Baba Arah, hinted that the meeting was put together to enable the critical stakeholders in disaster management to brainstorm as well as prepare against unforeseen circumstances from the 2024 flood prediction.
NSEMA boss observed that flood and other natural disasters experienced in recent years was a clarion call for the citizens to prepare to prevent dangers that come with the raining season.
The Head NEMA, Minna Operations office, Hajiya Zainab Saidu, said: “We must assess our current preparedness level, adding that we must review our existing flood defense mechanism, emergency response strategies, community awareness and evacuation plans understanding our starting point essential for effective planning.”
