In line with the 2025 Seasonal Climate Prediction by the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) and the Annual Flood Outlook released by the Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency (NIHSA), the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), in collaboration with the Rivers State Flood Management Committee, has commenced a multi-day Flood Response Simulation Exercise in Rivers State, code-named Exercise Iji Gbaje-Ugbo.
The exercise is aimed at testing inter-agency coordination, enhancing response efficiency, and strengthening community preparedness to mitigate the impacts of predicted flooding.
The Day One session began with a brief opening ceremony in Akinima Town, Ahoada West Local Government Area, the host community. It attracted wide participation from critical stakeholders, including representatives from four identified high-risk LGAs—Ahoada West, Ahoada East, Abua Odual, and Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni—alongside delegates from other LGAs likely to be affected by this year’s flood.
The Director General of NEMA, Mrs. Zubaida Umar, who was represented by the Director of Search and Rescue, Air Commodore Kenneth Oyong, commended the Rivers State Government for supporting the exercise and urged participants to take the training seriously. She emphasized that the lessons gained should be cascaded to communities to improve resilience in the face of predicted flooding.
Other dignitaries who delivered goodwill messages included the Administrator of Ahoada West LGA, who welcomed participants and underscored the importance of proactive preparedness in line with NiMet and NIHSA forecasts, and the Zonal Director of NEMA South-South, Mr. Godwin Tepikor, who highlighted the importance of attentiveness and knowledge transfer at the grassroots level.
Following the opening formalities and a brief break, participants benefited from two technical papers.
The first, delivered by Mr. Kenoma Ojuederie, Head of Operations, Edo Office, addressed 2025 Climate-Related Disaster Preparedness and Mitigation Strategies.
The second, presented by Chief SARO John Digha, focused on Safety Concerns in Search and Rescue/Evacuation during Flood Emergencies.
These sessions were followed by a robust panel discussion chaired by Air Commodore A. K. Oyong, with panelists drawn from NEMA, NiMet, NIHSA, and other stakeholder agencies. Participants actively engaged with questions, which were thoroughly addressed.
Key stakeholders present at the opening included the Nigerian Army, Navy, and Air Force; Federal Road Safety Corps; Nigeria Police Force; Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC); Nigerian Immigration Service; Rivers State Flood Emergency Management Committee; Bayelsa SEMA; community leaders; civil servants; market associations; local divers and boat operators; as well as NEMA’s South-South Zonal Directorate, Edo Operations Office, and Headquarters team.
The Day One session closed at about 3:30 p.m. after an engaging exchange of ideas. The exercise continues with practical field drills and demonstrations designed to reflect real-life emergency scenarios. These will test search and rescue operations, evacuation procedures, relief distribution mechanisms, and community engagement strategies to ensure Rivers State is better prepared for potential flooding in 2025.
23rd August, 2025
