News Investigators/ Beneficiaries of relief materials distributed during the 2025 flooding in Niger have expressed appreciation to President Bola Tinubu and the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) for their timely intervention.
They gave the commendations on Friday in Minna when a NEMA Monitoring and Evaluation Team led by Mr Manzo Ezekiel, visited the state to assess the impact of the interventions.
While acknowledging the support received, the beneficiaries appealed for sustained assistance and long-term solutions to mitigate recurring flood challenges in their communities.
Malam Muntari Abdulbaki from Rafi Local Government Area, thanked NEMA for its prompt response and assistance to affected communities, saying the intervention helped to reduce hardship and restored hope to the flood victims.
Abdulbaki also appreciated Tinubu for prioritising the welfare of vulnerable people during the flood.
“We are very grateful to President Bola Tinubu and NEMA for coming to our aid at the right time.
“The relief materials helped many families survive the difficult period after the flood,” he said.
Another beneficiary, Alhaji Musa Abubakar, from Mokwa Local Government Area, said the intervention brought relief to victims who lost their homes and belongings.
He added that more support was needed to help victims rebuild their houses and livelihoods.
“NEMA came with food items and other essentials when we had nothing left. We thank the President and the agency for not abandoning us.
“NEMA officials were on ground immediately. They rescued people and provided drinking water. This intervention saved lives,” he said.
He also commended NEMA for its search and rescue efforts and the provision of clean water during the flooding.
He urged the government to strengthen early warning awareness at the community level.
Mrs Zainab Mohammed, from Lavun, said the assistance reduced the hardship faced by women and children in the community who were affected by the flood.
“My house was submerged and most of my things were destroyed.
“NEMA gave us rice, mats, blankets and other items. I sincerely thank the Federal Government for remembering us,” she said.
She appealed for additional support, especially for widows and vulnerable persons affected by the flood.
Similarly, Mrs Rabiatu Sadiq, whose residence was affected in a riverine community along the River Niger, said the relief items helped her family cope with displacement.
“We received mattresses, blankets and food items from NEMA. I thank President Tinubu and the agency for their kindness,” she said.
She called for the construction of embankments to protect riverine communities from annual flooding.
Speaking during the visit, Mr Husseini Isah, Head of NEMA Minna Operations Office, said the agency recorded major achievements in flood preparedness, mitigation and response in Niger State in 2025.
He said that NEMA, by its establishment Act, could not manage disasters alone, explaining that its mandate was to coordinate relevant stakeholders at federal, state and community level
He commended President Tinubu for supporting the Director-General of NEMA, Zubairu Umar, noting that the support enhanced the agency’s capacity to respond effectively to disasters.
According to him, NEMA worked closely with the Niger State Emergency Management Agency (NSEMA), the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, environmental agencies and security agencies in managing flood incidents.
He said NEMA relied on early warning messages from the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) and the Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency (NHSA), which predicted general annual flooding across the country.
Isah said NHSA’s forecast identified Niger State as highly vulnerable due to its proximity to major water bodies such as Rivers Niger and Kaduna and their tributaries.
“Based on these predictions, the d director-general convened stakeholders’ meetings involving technical experts to develop disaster management documents and climate risk-related mitigation strategies for 2025,” he said.
He added that NEMA wrote to state governments to intensify preparedness efforts, including clearing of waterways, construction of drainage channels and community sensitisation.
Isah said state governments were also urged to support their emergency agencies to translate early warning messages into local dialects to ensure clear understanding at the community level.
He noted that NEMA organised downscaling programmes on climate-related risk management, deployed staff from headquarters for stakeholder engagements and trained communities on evacuation procedures and incident management.
According to him, the agency established platforms for information sharing, conducted weekly sensitisation based on early warnings and carried out advocacy visits across the state.
On intervention in affected areas, Isah said NEMA carried out search and rescue operations and distributed relief materials to flood victims.
He listed the items to include rice, maize, vegetable oil, salt, seasoning cubes, tomato paste, mats, mattresses, blankets, towels, detergents, bathing soap and tents for displaced persons.
Isah said NEMA also deployed critical equipment and personnel such as mobile intensive evacuation units, mobile water treatment machines and trained search and rescue teams.
He said the agency intervened in the Mokwa flood, affected communities in Lavun and Edati, and also responded to the deadly tanker explosion in Diko, among other incidents.
Isah said NEMA received both verbal and written commendations from community leaders and individuals appreciating the timely intervention.
He said the intervention significantly improved the well-being of affected people and was carried out in line with global best practices.
In his remarks, Alhaji Abdullah Baba-Arah, Director-General of NSEMA, described the collaboration between NEMA and NSEMA during the 2025 flood as cordial and robust.
He said both agencies worked closely and jointly carried out interventions on many occasions, noting that there was a good understanding and collaboration between them.
He acknowledged the impact of NEMA’s intervention, saying the agency assisted NSEMA with food and non-food items as well as farm inputs distributed to affected communities.
He, however, noted that some NEMA interventions were channelled through members of the National Assembly rather than directly through the state agency.
Baba-Arah said the Niger State Government regarded NEMA as a key development partner and consistently encouraged collaboration among all disaster management stakeholders.
He recalled that during the Mokwa flood, which claimed over 200 lives, NEMA was among the first responders, providing search and rescue services, evacuation support and relief materials.
According to him, NEMA teams stayed with victims throughout the camp period alongside state authorities, international partners and non-governmental organisations, making the collaboration highly effective.
He added that relief materials for other flood-affected communities had already been approved and prepositioned in warehouses, awaiting distribution.
Baba-Arah said NEMA’s intervention complemented the efforts of the state government and greatly improved support to flood victims across in the state.
NAN
