The National Emergency Management Agency has activated its National Emergency Operations Centre to enhance the coordination of flood monitoring, preparedness and emergency response as the 2026 rainy season intensifies across the country.
The Director-General of NEMA, Zubaida Umar, announced the activation on Tuesday while inaugurating members of the centre at the agency’s headquarters in Abuja.
She urged officials assigned to the centre to discharge their responsibilities with professionalism, diligence and a proactive approach to ensure an effective national response to flood emergencies.
According to Umar, the operations centre will improve the coordination, collection and analysis of information on flood incidents across the country, providing reliable data to support planning, preparedness and emergency interventions.
“It is important that all information generated and disseminated by the centre is factual, timely and reliable to support sound decision-making and effective management of flooding and other climate-induced disasters,” she said.
She noted that the activation of the centre forms part of NEMA’s broader strategy to strengthen national disaster preparedness and improve collaboration among relevant stakeholders throughout the 2026 flood season.
“The timely availability of credible information is critical for early action, prompt deployment of resources and the protection of lives and livelihoods in communities vulnerable to flooding,” Umar added.
Also speaking, NEMA’s Deputy Director of Planning, Research and Forecasting, Tony Ephraim, assured the agency’s management that members of the centre would effectively carry out their assignment.
“We will work diligently to ensure effective monitoring, data collection, analysis and information management to support timely decision-making and coordinated response to flood emergencies and other climate-related hazards,” Ephraim said.
NEMA explained that the National Emergency Operations Centre will serve as the central platform for monitoring flood situations nationwide, harmonising information from relevant agencies and coordinating stakeholders to improve preparedness and response throughout the rainy season.
The activation follows months of flood preparedness activities by the Federal Government and emergency management agencies after climate and flood outlooks identified several states as vulnerable to flooding during the 2026 rainy season.
The agency has consistently advised state governments, emergency management agencies and residents of flood-prone communities to heed early warning alerts and take preventive measures, including relocating to safer areas where necessary.
NEMA also said it is strengthening collaboration with the Nigerian Army and other stakeholders, noting that forecasts by the Nigerian Meteorological Agency and the Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency indicate an increased risk of flooding in several parts of the country this year.
