The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has intensified efforts to strengthen Nigeria’s disaster preparedness, convening a high-level inter-agency meeting to fast-track the implementation of the Early Warnings for All (EW4All) Initiative and improve proactive responses to floods and other climate-related disasters.
The meeting, held at NEMA headquarters in Abuja, brought together heads of key government agencies and development partners to harmonise strategies, define institutional responsibilities and lay the groundwork for the national rollout of the initiative.
Among those in attendance were the Director-General of NEMA, Mrs. Zubaida Umar; Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Dr. Aminu Maida; Director-General of the Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency (NIHSA), Alhaji Ahmed Ibrahim Mohammed; Director-General of the National Space Research and Development Agency (NASRDA), Dr. Matthew Adepoju; Director-General of the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet), Prof. Charles Anosike; and the representative of the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR), Mr. Muliro Mashauri.
Addressing participants, NEMA Director-General Zubaida Umar described the meeting as a critical step towards building a stronger national disaster risk management system through coordinated action.
She said the Early Warnings for All initiative should be treated as a national priority, particularly as Nigeria continues to face increasing threats from flooding and other climate-induced disasters.
Quoting the United Nations Secretary-General, Umar said, “Early Warnings for All is a survival agenda for humanity,” adding that “for Nigeria, it should equally be regarded as a national security and development priority.”
She noted that the initiative aligns with Nigeria’s commitments under the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction, the Sustainable Development Goals, the Paris Agreement on climate adaptation, and President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, which seeks to protect lives, preserve development gains and build resilient communities.
Speaking at the meeting, NCC Executive Vice Chairman Dr. Aminu Maida stressed that effective communication remains central to any successful early warning system.
He said timely dissemination of emergency information could make the difference between life and death during disasters.
“All the institutions represented here have critical and complementary roles to play in protecting Nigerians from disasters and other unforeseen events,” Maida said, reaffirming the NCC’s commitment to supporting the initiative.
Also speaking, NASRDA Director-General Dr. Matthew Adepoju highlighted the growing importance of space technology in disaster management, pledging the agency’s technical expertise and satellite data to strengthen Nigeria’s early warning capabilities.
The Director-General of NIHSA, Alhaji Ahmed Ibrahim Mohammed, said reliable hydrological forecasts and early warnings enable governments and communities to act before disasters strike, thereby reducing damage to lives, livelihoods and infrastructure.
He commended NEMA for spearheading the collaboration and assured participants that NIHSA would continue to provide the hydrological data and technical support needed for the successful implementation of the initiative.
Similarly, the Director-General of NiMet, Prof. Charles Anosike, reaffirmed the agency’s commitment to delivering timely and actionable weather and climate information to support disaster preparedness across the country.
The meeting ended with participating agencies agreeing to deepen collaboration and accelerate preparations for the national launch of the Early Warnings for All Initiative, a programme expected to strengthen Nigeria’s resilience against floods and other climate-related emergencies through coordinated forecasting, communication and rapid response.
