Nigeria’s Vice President, Kashim Shettima says the Nigerian Government has shifted Nigeria’s flood response from reactive disaster relief to proactive preparedness with the launch of the Anticipatory Action Task Force (AATF) on Floods.
According to him, the initiative aligns with global frameworks such as the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and the Paris Agreement on Climate Change, all of which emphasize proactive disaster preparedness to mitigate the impact of natural disasters and protect vulnerable communities.
The Vice President, announced this on Tuesday during a meeting of the Anticipatory Action Task Force (AATF) on Floods at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.
He said that the traditional approach of mobilizing relief after floods strike was no longer sustainable.
“We cannot afford to wait for disaster to strike before taking action. The human and economic toll of floods in Nigeria has become unbearable. We must act now to protect lives and livelihoods by leveraging science, technology, and collaboration,” Shettima stated.
According to him, prevention is always cheaper than response, and investing in early action today will save billions in future losses.
“We need to strengthen coordination among agencies, engage local communities, and ensure that preparedness efforts are backed by real-time data”. The VP declared
Members of the Task Force include the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMET), the Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency (NiHSA), the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, alongside state emergency management agencies and international development partners.
