The European Union has offered to provide technical assistance to support the early recovery of communities that were ravaged by the recent flood disasters in the country.
Already a team of experts from the European Union has arrived Nigeria to meet with the relevant agencies and other stakeholders including visits to some of the affected communities. During a visit by the team to the head office of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) in Abuja, the team leader Mr. Kimmo Tuominen said the assistance would be based on analysis of specific aspects of the emergency management structures and procedures to be assessed by them.
He said the team would also identify lessons learnt from the previous floods, assess the risk and map out hydro-geological risks and related industrial hazards, adding that the EU was interested in the “emergency planning and procedures including coordination and communication between the different regional stakeholders.”
Mr Tuominen said the European Union will further assist in the areas of flood information management especially as relating to forecast and alerts procedures as well as early warning systems.
Responding, Director General of NEMA Muhammad Sani Sidi appreciated the kind support of the European Union noting that it will boost efforts of the government at assisting the affected communities and appealed for sustaining of the support.
Sani Sidi said Nigeria is now better prepared to tackle disaster including this year’s predicted flood. He urged the team to identify some of the gaps that have not been adequately addressed.
The team will visit some of the communities in Kogi and Benue States where they will also meet with state authouries.
Sani Datti
Information Officer
