June 13, 2025
In a decisive step towards proactive disaster management, the Director-General of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Mustapha Ahmed, has officially inaugurated the National Emergency Operations Centre (NEOC) in Abuja to coordinate Nigeria’s response to predicted 2025 flooding.
The launch of the operations centre comes amid forecasts by the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) and the Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency (NIHSA), which warned of significant flood risks in several states due to anticipated heavy rainfall patterns.
Speaking at the inauguration ceremony, the NEMA DG emphasised that the NEOC will serve as a central hub for real-time coordination, information sharing, and resource deployment in collaboration with relevant federal and state agencies.
“The 2025 flooding outlook demands urgent preparedness, and the NEOC is a vital tool in ensuring timely interventions to mitigate loss of lives and property,” Ahmed said.
The operations centre is expected to facilitate cooperation with critical stakeholders, including:
Nigerian Armed Forces
Nigeria Police Force
Federal Road Safety Corps
Nigerian Red Cross Society
Ministries of Health, Environment, and Water Resources
State Emergency Management Agencies (SEMAs)
It will also work closely with UN agencies and non-governmental organizations involved in humanitarian response.
NEMA identified Kogi, Anambra, Niger, Lagos, Bayelsa, Adamawa, and Benue among the states likely to experience severe flooding, urging local governments and residents in flood-prone communities to remain vigilant and adhere to early warning alerts.
In 2022, Nigeria experienced one of its worst flood disasters in over a decade, with over 600 fatalities and millions displaced. The federal government has since increased investments in disaster risk reduction and early warning systems.
