Reported by Ariajegbe Sylvia Esezobor
The National Emergency Management Agency has commenced a two-day flood preparedness training and a three-day full-scale simulation exercise in Makurdi, Benue State, bringing together government ministries, security and response agencies, humanitarian organisations and Local Emergency Management Committees to strengthen the state’s capacity to respond to what officials describe as a high and growing flood risk. The training, which opened on Tuesday, September 15, 2026, is part of a full-scale flood disaster response simulation exercise code-named “Uwar Uma”, meaning “Saving Lives” in Tiv. The exercise will run from September 15 to 17 and is being held in collaboration with the Benue State Emergency Management Agency, with support from the United Nations Development Programme, UNICEF and the World Bank under the UNDP Sahel Resilience Project for Nigeria.
Speaking at the training and orientation programme in Makurdi, the Acting Zonal Director for the North Central Zone of NEMA, Mr Sulieman Mohammed, said the training was designed to ensure that all participating stakeholders develop a common understanding of the exercise scenario, objectives, operational procedures, roles and responsibilities, communication arrangements and mechanisms for coordinated response. He explained that the exercise would test stakeholders’ collective capacity to translate plans and early-warning information into effective action, examining how information is received and disseminated, how communities respond, how local structures activate their response mechanisms and how additional support is mobilised as the situation escalates. “This training is also intended to ensure that participants are familiar with the bottom-up emergency response approach, beginning at the community level and progressively escalating through the Local Emergency Management Committee, the State Emergency Management Agency and, where necessary, to the Federal level through NEMA,” Mohammed said.
Mohammed noted that Benue State is highly exposed to flooding due to its extensive river systems, floodplains, seasonal rainfall and the concentration of settlements and economic activities around the River Benue and its tributaries. He said the prevailing flood risk demanded that preparedness and response arrangements remain proactive, coordinated and practical. “Early warning information must translate into timely community action, evacuation, rescue, relief and recovery support,” he said. He also stressed that the purpose of a simulation exercise is not to demonstrate perfection but to identify weaknesses and areas requiring improvement in plans, procedures, communication systems, logistics, early-warning mechanisms, evacuation arrangements and inter-agency coordination. He commended the Benue State Government, BSEMA, Local Emergency Management Committees, participating communities, government institutions, security and response agencies, humanitarian organisations and development partners for their support.
The exercise reflects a broader national effort to manage the 2026 flood season. NEMA has been closely monitoring the water level in Cameroon’s Lagdo Dam over the likelihood of flooding along the River Benue, as part of measures to proactively manage the season and mitigate potential disasters. The agency said it had intensified coordination with relevant federal and state institutions, strengthened monitoring of high-risk locations and sustained public sensitisation on flood safety, disseminating early-warning information and advisories to communities in collaboration with State Emergency Management Agencies, Local Emergency Management Committees and traditional institutions. The Director-General of NEMA, Mrs Zubaida Umar, activated the National Emergency Operations Centre in August to strengthen coordination, information management and analysis of reliable data on the 2026 flood situation. NEMA also disclosed that it had conducted a flood simulation exercise in Calabar, Cross River State, and participated in a joint exercise in Adamawa State with the Presidential Committee on Flood Relief and Rehabilitation.
The decision to hold a full-scale simulation in Benue is grounded in the state’s vulnerability. In August 2026, the Federal Ministry of Environment placed 944 communities across 21 states on critical flood alert, with Benue identified among the states facing the highest flood threat. Among the major urban centres listed under the critical category were Makurdi, Katsina Ala, Gboko and Otukpo in Benue. The Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency confirmed that the Lagdo Dam authorities were impounding water rather than releasing it downstream, and attributed the flooding being experienced in several parts of the country largely to flash flooding caused by intense and prolonged rainfall, with poor drainage systems, indiscriminate disposal of waste and unauthorised urban development worsening the situation. Even so, the risk remains elevated, and NEMA’s presence in Makurdi signals that the agency is treating the state as a priority.
The human and economic stakes are high. In 2025, floods in Benue displaced over 5,000 residents, destroyed 1,200 homes and ravaged vast swaths of farmland, according to the Benue State Emergency Management Agency. On September 5, 2026, torrential rainfall submerged houses in Achusa Community in Makurdi, rendering many residents homeless. Governor Hyacinth Alia visited parts of the affected area and dispatched a high-powered delegation for an on-the-spot assessment. Findings revealed that most of the affected houses were illegally built on natural waterways and flood plains, obstructing the free flow of water. The state government directed that buildings erected on water channels already marked in the affected areas would be demolished to create a right of way for water, and that compensation would be paid to deserving landlords whose properties may be affected. Road construction work from the Hotel Lucia axis through Achusa was also underway, with standard gutters being constructed to channel stormwater down to the River Benue.
Governor Alia commended NEMA, United Nations agencies and other stakeholders for strengthening efforts to tackle flooding and improve disaster preparedness across the state. Speaking through his Special Adviser on Humanitarian Affairs, Mimidoo Ann Kandef, the governor described the programme as a welcome development and urged stakeholders to sustain the collaboration. He said his administration remained committed to initiatives aimed at reducing the impact of flooding on communities and protecting lives, livelihoods and property across Benue State. The government called for sustained cooperation among emergency agencies, development partners and communities to build a more resilient and coordinated disaster response system. The Special Adviser to the Governor on Disaster Management, Mrs Mimi Iyonov, said flooding remained one of the state’s major disaster risks, requiring continuous preparedness. She described disaster management as a shared responsibility requiring collaboration among government agencies, security organisations, humanitarian partners, traditional and community leaders and affected communities.
Development partners also underscored the significance of the exercise. The Resident Representative of the UNDP Country Office in Nigeria, Mrs Elsie Attafuah, described the initiative as a unique opportunity to strengthen disaster preparedness and enhance institutional coordination. Represented by Dr Sunday Amama, she said the organisation remained committed to supporting the Federal Government and state governments through strategic partnerships, technical assistance, policy advisory services, capacity development, innovation and catalytic financing. “Together with our partners, we will continue to promote integrated, risk-informed, and people-centred approaches that strengthen resilience and accelerate sustainable development in Nigeria,” she said. Amama noted that the exercise was supported by the World Bank and UNDP under the UNDP Sahel Resilience Project for Nigeria and would generate lessons that could be translated into real-life action during flood emergencies.
The Executive Secretary of BSEMA, Dr James Iorpuu, represented by the Head of Administration, Mr Atii Samuel, said the workshop was aimed at strengthening preparedness and testing response mechanisms. He appreciated NEMA, the World Bank, UNDP, development partners, security agencies and facilitators for supporting Benue’s disaster risk reduction efforts. Participants are expected to apply lessons from the training during the field simulation and subsequently document them through a hot wash and after-action review. The exercise brings together government ministries, departments and agencies, security and response agencies, humanitarian organisations and Local Emergency Management Committees, making it one of the most comprehensive disaster preparedness drills held in the state in recent years.
For the people of Benue, the exercise represents more than a procedural drill. It is a test of whether the institutions responsible for their safety can work together when the waters rise. The state sits at the heart of the River Benue basin, and its residents have learned to live with the annual threat of flooding. The training and simulation may not stop the rains, but they can determine how many lives are saved when the floods come. For now, the focus is on preparedness, coordination and the promise that early warning will translate into timely action.
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