The Federal Capital Territory Emergency Management Department (FEMD) has stepped up its flood preparedness and public sensitisation campaign as the rainy season reaches its peak, warning that communities located in flood-prone areas face an increased risk of flooding.
According to an official statement signed by the Head of Public Affairs of FEMD, Nkechi Isa, the renewed campaign formed part of activities at a one-day Stakeholders’ Engagement on the 2026 National Disaster Preparedness and Response Campaign, where emergency management agencies and other stakeholders called for stronger collaboration to reduce the impact of flooding across the Federal Capital Territory.
Speaking at the meeting, the Head of Forecasting, Response and Mitigation at FEMD, Dr. Mark Nyam, said weather forecasts indicate that several communities remain vulnerable to flooding and urged stakeholders to implement proactive measures to prevent the loss of lives and property during the rainy season.
Nyam stressed that disaster risk reduction requires collective action from government agencies, community leaders and residents, particularly those living in flood-prone locations.
Also speaking, the Head of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) Abuja Operations Office, Mr. Zakari Abubakar, said the agency had rolled out several interventions aimed at mitigating the impact of flooding nationwide.
According to him, the measures focus on prevention, preparedness, emergency response and post-disaster recovery to minimise the effects of flooding on affected communities.
He urged FEMD to extend its sensitisation campaign to grassroots communities, particularly those located along riverbanks, to ensure residents are adequately informed about flood risks and appropriate safety measures.
A representative of the FCT Department of Development Control also called for stricter enforcement of regulations protecting waterways, noting that the implementation of existing planning guidelines remains essential to reducing flooding in the territory.
As part of the exercise, participants visited flood-prone locations in the Mabushi and Lokogoma districts to assess areas at risk and evaluate ongoing mitigation efforts.
The stakeholders’ meeting brought together representatives of the National Orientation Agency (NOA), the Nigerian Red Cross Society, the FCT Fire Service, the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA) and other relevant agencies.
In a related development, FEMD extended its flood preparedness campaign to Gwagwalada Area Council, where community leaders were sensitised on measures to minimise flood risks.
Addressing palace officials, Dr. Nyam attributed recurring flooding in parts of the FCT largely to human activities, dismissing claims that flooding in Gwagwalada was caused by water releases from dams.
He urged residents to stop dumping refuse into drainage channels and to avoid erecting structures on natural waterways, warning that such practices significantly worsen flooding.
“Disaster is localised. The attitude of some of our people worsens the situation. Do not dump refuse in the drainage system and do not build on the water channel,” he said.
Traditional rulers and community leaders who participated in the sensitisation programme identified the indiscriminate disposal of waste as a major challenge, attributing it partly to the absence of designated refuse dump sites in the area.
They called for stricter enforcement of environmental sanitation laws and improved waste management to reduce flooding.
In his remarks, the Aguma of Gwagwalada, Alhaji Mohammed Magaji, represented by the Waziri of Gwagwalada, Alhaji Bala Garba Madaki, pledged the support of the traditional institution in promoting flood awareness across the area council.
He said the flood preparedness message would be disseminated to district, ward and village heads, as well as religious leaders, while encouraging residents living along riverbanks to relocate to safer and higher ground to minimise the risk of flood-related disasters.
