Kaduna: The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) on Tuesday convened a meeting with disaster management stakeholders in Kaduna to review emergencies recorded in 2025 and strengthen preventive measures across the state.
The Head of Operations at the NEMA Kaduna Office, Suleiman Muhammad, said the meeting was aimed at assessing progress made, identifying gaps, and developing coordinated strategies to improve disaster response and public safety.
Muhammad explained that disaster management now prioritises proactive risk reduction over reactive response, focusing more on early warning, preparedness, and multi-agency coordination.
He noted that the engagement followed seasonal predictions issued by the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) and the Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency (NIHSA), which highlighted potential flooding and other emergencies across Kaduna State.
He said flooding affected Kaduna North, Kaduna South, Zaria and Sanga Local Government Areas in 2025, but coordinated action by NEMA, the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), the Red Cross, Fire Service, and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) helped contain the damage.
Muhammad added that public sensitisation campaigns and practical simulations of tanker accidents had strengthened community awareness and emergency response capacity. Akhaine Michael, NSCDC Kaduna Disaster Management Unit Head, highlighted tanker accidents as a major highway safety concern.ghways.
He said the corps supports NEMA through evacuation, crowd control and protection of lives and property during emergencies. Rahama Suleiman, NOA Kaduna Head for Environment, Climate and Energy, said the agency complements NEMA’s grassroots sensitisation and media work.
She explained that field officers would implement the engagement’s outcomes to strengthen awareness and preparedness in communities across the state.
