For years, the story of disaster management in Nigeria has followed a familiar script: floods or other emergencies occur, families are displaced, and government agencies rush in with relief materials to patch up the wounds. It is a reactive cycle that has often left citizens wondering why the same tragedies repeat themselves annually, with little sign of long-term change. Under the leadership of its current Director General, Mrs. Zubaida Umar, the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has been attempting to rewrite this script by shifting attention from mere reaction to proactive anticipation of disasters.
Floods, which are now the most recurrent natural disaster in Nigeria, illustrate the urgency of this change. In 2022, they displaced more than 1.4 million people and killed over 600. This year, the rains are again swelling rivers, threatening fragile communities across the country. But unlike previous seasons where the focus was largely on relief after destruction, NEMA has been working ahead of time. The agency has activated early warning systems, collaborated with the Nigerian Meteorological Agency and the Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency to interpret seasonal forecasts, and rolled out sensitization campaigns to alert vulnerable communities. The idea is simple: if people are prepared and aware, the damage can be significantly reduced.
This anticipatory stance marks a subtle but important departure from the old order. Rather than waiting for the floods to come before moving resources, NEMA has been positioning its response ahead of time. Relief materials have been pre-stocked in strategic warehouses, response teams have been deployed in advance, and state emergency agencies have been briefed on risk scenarios. This shift recognizes that timing is everything in disaster management: an early evacuation can save lives, while a delayed intervention often costs them.
The DG has also emphasized coordination as part of the anticipatory strategy. Disaster management is not the task of one agency alone. By fostering stronger partnerships with state emergency management agencies, local governments, and civil society groups, NEMA is trying to create a web of preparedness that reaches down to the grassroots. The recent engagements with traditional rulers and community-based organizations in flood-prone areas demonstrate this effort to localize preparedness rather than centralize it in Abuja.
One area where this change is evident is in the handling of information. In past years, many communities were caught off guard because flood predictions never reached them in understandable terms. Today, NEMA has increased its use of radio jingles, town hall sensitizations, and even social media alerts to push early warnings into the public domain. In a society where access to information is uneven, this multipronged approach is vital. The agency is learning that anticipation is not only about logistics but also about communication.
Still, the path is not without obstacles. Nigeria’s disaster preparedness is constrained by limited funding, poor infrastructure, and weak urban planning. Floodplains are still occupied by settlements, drainage systems in major cities remain clogged, and many states treat environmental planning as an afterthought. No matter how proactive NEMA becomes, it cannot fully substitute for the lack of enforcement of planning regulations or the chronic underinvestment in drainage infrastructure. Critics have argued that while the agency’s anticipatory measures are laudable, they must be complemented by structural reforms if they are to yield lasting results.
This is where Mrs. Umar’s leadership faces its greatest test. Anticipation requires not only foresight but also the political will to push for systemic change. It involves persuading policymakers that spending on preparedness is not a luxury but a necessity. When the federal government recently approved ₦10 billion for NEMA’s flood preparedness and response activities, it signaled recognition of this argument. The key now is ensuring that the funds are used to strengthen anticipatory mechanisms—such as community-based training, flood shelters, and monitoring systems—rather than being swallowed by reactive relief distribution alone.
Observers note that one of Umar’s quiet strengths has been her insistence on professionalism within the agency. Preparedness cannot be built on ad hoc responses; it requires trained personnel who can read hydrological data, plan evacuations, and coordinate multi-agency operations. By investing in staff training and reviving partnerships with institutions like the Nigerian Armed Forces and the Red Cross, NEMA is equipping itself with the technical backbone needed for anticipatory action.
The real measure of success, however, will lie in outcomes. If fewer lives are lost, if displacement figures decline, and if communities begin to see floods not as inevitable tragedies but as manageable risks, then the anticipatory strategy will have proved its worth. The early signs from recent weeks—where timely evacuations in some states minimized casualties—suggest that the strategy is not only possible but already making a difference.
At a deeper level, this shift has implications for how Nigerians perceive governance. For too long, government agencies have been viewed as reactive fire brigades—arriving late, delivering too little, and leaving too soon. By embracing anticipation, NEMA under Umar is trying to redefine this perception, showing that government can be proactive, strategic, and people-centered. In a climate of widespread distrust, this shift is as important as the material relief itself.
The rains will continue to fall, and floods will remain a reality of Nigeria’s geography and climate. But the difference between tragedy and resilience lies in preparedness. NEMA’s attempt to move from reaction to anticipation is not just an institutional reform; it is a moral statement that Nigerian lives deserve protection before, not after, disaster strikes. And in that statement lies the promise of a new chapter in the nation’s disaster management story.
Abdulhamid Abdullahi Aliyu writes on disaster management, humanitarian response, and national development
