The Federal Ministry of Water Resources and Sanitation has urged states to prioritise emergency preparedness over reliance on federal intervention during disasters.
Mrs Elizabeth Ugoh, the ministry’s Director of Water Quality Control and Sanitation, made the call at the WASH in Emergency Working Group meeting in Abuja on Wednesday.
Speaking on flood preparedness and response, Ugoh noted that many states relied heavily on federal government’s intervention and emphasised that states must maintain awareness to prevent emergencies.
She stated the need for communities and states to take measures for flood prevention, adding that this would help reduce diseases such as cholera.
“Flood preparedness is key, we hope to see state governments take ownership of emergency preparedness and response, this will help the country.”
Ishaq Ado, National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) representative, said the agency was worried about states’ reliance on federal funds during emergency situations.
Ado outlined NEMA’s efforts to improve emergency response for the 2024 climate-related disasters, including risk mapping of vulnerable areas based on yearly forecasts.
He highlighted major challenges, such as inadequate funding and equipment, which limited NEMA’s response capacity.
“Only N4 billion of the approved N10 billion flood intervention fund has been received, and essential equipment like rescue boats, life jackets, and mobile clinics is lacking.”
Ado stressed the need for state agencies to take a more active role and reduce reliance on federal support for better disaster coordination.
He added that NEMA anticipated increased funding to aid 2024 flood recovery and prepared for potential 2025 flooding.
Mr. Attah Benson, National Coordinator, Society for Water and Sanitation, revealed ongoing efforts to combat cholera and waterborne disease outbreaks in states like Adamawa, Borno, Taraba, Enugu, Anambra and Jigawa.
He stressed the need for increased mobilisation, particularly in high-risk states such as Borno, Jigawa, Anambra and Enugu.
Benson also referenced the WASHNORM 3 report, which identified several gaps in Nigeria’s water infrastructure, noting that 530,142 of 2.3 million water facilities were non-functional.
“The report pointed to poorly implemented projects, with contractors failing to involve local communities, resulting in unsustainable or unusable facilities.”
He suggested that states consider alternatives, such as centralised water systems in urban areas, rather than relying solely on handpumps suited for rural communities.
Jessica Akinrogbe, WASH focal point, Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, reported that cholera cases were recorded in 36 states and the FCT, with Lagos having the highest number at 4,627 cases.
She noted that Borno and Katsina had 2,483 and 2,085 cases, respectively, in epidemiology week 44.
Akinrogbe stated that while the cholera trend was lower compared to previous years, greater coordination among stakeholders was needed to reverse the current trend.
Representatives from the UN Children’s Fund, Society for Family Health, and U-Save Foundation also provided updates on emergency interventions and the WASH sectors.
By Tosin Kolade
