As part of efforts to tackle the growing threat of flood-related disasters across Nigeria, the Federal Government is considering empowering flood-prone communities to manage their own safety and resilience.
Vice President Kashim Shettima disclosed this on Monday in Abuja during the commemoration of the 2025 International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction (IDDRR), an event led globally by the UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR).
Shettima noted that no amount of national preparedness would yield tangible results without community participation, stressing that resilience begins at the local level.
He explained that resilience “is reflected in how cities are planned, how businesses protect their workers, and how communities share information and look out for each other.”
The Vice President called for stronger collaboration with the private sector, urging business leaders to see themselves as partners in prevention and to integrate risk reduction into corporate planning and investment decisions.
Highlighting the role of knowledge and innovation, Shettima emphasised that academia and research institutions must generate reliable data and practical research to support safer and more informed decision-making.
“We count on them to shape the knowledge that guides our decisions,” he said. “We also expect our civil society to hold us accountable, raise awareness, and mobilise citizens around the shared responsibility of preparedness.”
Shettima reaffirmed that the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and the Federal Ministry of Environment remain key partners in advancing disaster resilience and promoting coordinated response efforts across Nigeria.
