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As the rainy season intensifies across Nigeria, the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and the Benue State Emergency Management Agency (Benue-SEMA) have jointly embarked on a grassroots sensitization and early warning campaign to mitigate the impact of flooding in vulnerable communities.
On Tuesday, May 26, 2026, emergency response teams visited the Bambam community, located behind Modern Market in Makurdi Local Government Area of Benue State. The sensitization exercise took place at the residence of the community leader, Zaki Alfred Ankon.
Representatives from both agencies, including Felix Adua, a Search and Rescue Officer, and Tema Ager, Information Officer of Benue-SEMA, addressed residents on the looming flood threats based on the 2026 flood predictions and weather forecasts from NiMet and NIHSA.
Speaking during the exercise, Tema Ager stated that under the leadership of Benue-SEMA’s Executive Secretary, Sir James Iorpuu, PhD, the agency has intensified community-based early warning campaigns across flood-prone areas. He urged residents to regularly clear drainage channels and gutters, avoid indiscriminate dumping of refuse, and refrain from building or settling in low-lying and flood-prone zones.
Zaki Alfred Ankon, responding on behalf of the community, commended NEMA and Benue-SEMA for the timely intervention and appealed to the Benue State Government to open up blocked access roads and extend the drainage canal from the Idye Basin to the Bambam Basin to address recurring flooding in the area.
As part of the campaign, emergency management teams distributed flood control and safety information materials to community leaders to boost public awareness and preparedness.
This proactive step highlights the critical importance of community involvement and government support in reducing the devastating effects of seasonal flooding in Benue State.
