By Adamu Yusuf
The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has educated residents of Kaduna State and conducted a flood rescue simulation exercise to strengthen community preparedness ahead of the 2026 rainy season.
The exercise was part of NEMA’s 2026 National Preparedness and Awareness Campaign on flood disasters and other related hazards across the country.
The Head of Operations at NEMA Kaduna Operations Office,
Mr. Suleiman Muhammad said the aim of the exercise was to raise awareness and equip residents to serve as first responders before the arrival of emergency agencies.
Muhammad explained that the exercise was designed to provide communities with practical rescue and emergency response skills in order to reduce losses during flooding incidents.
“By training communities and conducting simulation exercises, they can provide immediate assistance whenever an incident occurs before government agencies arrive.
“We want communities to begin rescuing their people before the arrival of any emergency response agency,” he said.
He noted that Kaduna State is among the states identified by the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) and the Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency (NIHSA) as facing moderate flood risk in 2026 based on their predictions.
According to him, 21 local government areas in the state are expected to be affected by flooding during the rainy season.
Suleman Muhammad added that NEMA had already engaged stakeholders and traditional rulers in Chikun and Kaduna North Local Government Areas on preventive measures to avoid flooding.
He said the agency had also sensitised communities on clearing blocked drainage channels and adopting safety measures to minimise the impact of flooding.
“We do not want disaster to occur, but we want to take preventive measures before it happens in order to reduce loss of lives and property,” he added.
Also speaking, Pastor Andrew Gladstone, Senior Pastor of a church in the affected area, commended NEMA and the Nigerian Red Cross Society for conducting the rescue exercise.
Gladstone said flooding had become a recurring challenge in the area, occurring almost twice every year and causing hardship for residents.
“This flooding problem happens frequently, perhaps twice every year, and it has created many challenges for us,” he said.
He also used the opportunity to appreciate NEMA and the Red Cross for their support while calling on the government to take further steps to address the challenge permanently.
