By Ikugbadi Oluwasegun
The federal government is considering empowering flood-prone communities to manage their own safety as part of measures to addressing the growing threat of flood related disasters across the country.
Kashim Shettima, Vice President who disclosed this, said no amount of preparedness will produce tangible results if communities are not empowered to take charge of their safety.
Speaking on Monday in Abuja during the 2025 International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction (IDDRR), Shettima noted that while resilience cannot be guaranteed by government alone, it is reflected in how cities are planned, how businesses protect their workers, and how communities share information and look out for each other.
Accordingly, he demanded strong partnership with the private sector, saying the sector “must see itself as a partner in prevention, embedding risk reduction into corporate planning and investment decisions.”
Stressing the need to empower communities to manage their own safety, he said, “the academia and research institutions also bear the responsibility of helping the country generate the data, innovation, and practical research needed to prepare for a safer future.
The Vice President applauded the theme of the 2025 International Day for IDDRR, “Fund Resilience, Not Disasters,” saying it speaks to an often overlooked truth that “it is far wiser, far cheaper, and far more humane to prepare for disasters before they strike than to rebuild after they destroy.
Earlier, the Governor of Zamfara State, Alhaji Dauda Lawal, commended the commitment of stakeholders led by the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), to strengthening Nigeria’s disaster management framework through the launch of the 5-year strategic plan.
He called on stakeholders to deepen collaboration in building a safer and more resilient country, while proposing the adoption of a Public Private Partnership model in funding disaster management in Nigeria.
The Minister of State for Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, Yusuf Tanko Sununu, said Nigeria, like other countries, has suffered from natural and human disasters, necessitating the current stakeholders’ meeting aimed at developing a comprehensive approach to addressing these disasters.
For her part, the Director General of NEMA, Hajiya Zubaida Umar, said the commemoration of the 2025 International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction represents a defining moment in Nigeria’s national commitment to building resilience and demanding for a more proactive and better financed disaster resilience framework.
Representatives of the legislature commended the DG of NEMA for organizing the timely stakeholders’ event and assured that the National Assembly will continue to work with NEMA by creating an enabling environment for its efficient operations.
