FG Moves To Curb Flood Disasters, Climate-Induced Crises As VP Shettima Launches Preemptive Action Plan

By: Our Reporter

As the rainy season sets in, with its attendant torrential downpour, the federal government has taken proactive steps to prevent flooding through strategic measures to enhance disaster preparedness and risk management across the country.

To this effect, Vice President Kashim Shettima on Wednesday launched Nigeria’s Anticipatory Action Framework, designed to shift disaster management from reactive responses to proactive preparedness by leveraging early warnings, local empowerment, and pre-arranged financing to save lives and livelihoods.

A key component of the strategy involves establishing a dedicated trigger group comprising meteorological and emergency management agencies that will synthesise data to enable forecasts up to two weeks in advance.

Speaking during a framework validation workshop held at the National Counter Terrorism Centre (NCTC), Office of the National Security Adviser in Abuja, VP Shettima described the framework as a timely intervention to confront the rising threats of climate-induced disasters such as floods, which affected over five million Nigerians in 2024.

“These disasters are no longer distant threats. They are here, knocking at our doors, sweeping through our streets, flooding our homes, and testing not only our moral sensitivity but the depth of our preparation,” he said.

The Vice President stressed the urgent need to dump the costly and inadequate reactive approach to disasters for a more proactive measure.

He stated, “For decades, our response has been reactive. We wait for the waters to rise, for the homes to vanish, and then we scramble for relief. This late arrival of support costs more and saves fewer lives.

“We lose close to 5% of our GDP every year to reactive disaster responses. This approach is not only unsustainable, it is also deeply unjust to the most vulnerable among us. This is why we must act before disasters unfold”.

The VP explained that the new framework is built on three strategic pillars, including “early warning systems powered by satellite technology and delivered through community-based networks to provide life-saving information in real time.

“The second is pre-triggered financing. No plan can succeed without resources made available before the storm arrives. The third is localised preparedness.

“Studies have shown that anticipatory action can reduce losses by up to 60 per cent. That is not just a statistic. It is hope. It is the future of millions salvaged before ruin,” he added.

Senator Shettima drew instances from Benue State where trained volunteers, responding to early warning alerts, evacuated over 80,000 people within 72 hours.

“That is what it means to build early warning systems that work. It’s not just about integrating forecasting tools, but delivering timely alerts in languages our people understand,” the Vice President stated.

He explained that the trigger group is composed of national agencies, including NiMet, NiHSA, NEMA, NASRDA, and NOA, working in collaboration with UNOCHA, WFP, FAO, and the IFRC.

“We cannot leave here with only communiqués and good intentions. We must take ownership of this framework, embed it into our institutions, and stay accountable to its promise,” the Vice President told participants at the workshop.

Earlier in his keynote address, the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management, Professor Nentawe Yilwatda, said the Tinubu administration is committed to supporting the operationalisation of the Anticipatory Action Framework for Nigeria.

He stressed the need for response agencies and intervention organisations to utilise the National Social Register to lay the foundation for a flood-resistant nation, noting that the register is a national resilience infrastructure.

The Minister recommended the enactment of a risk management and data sharing protocol, the establishment of a national risk and sustainable coordination centre, early funding for anticipatory actions, and the deployment of technology to enable real-time monitoring of situations across the country.

On his part, the United Nations Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator, Nigeria, Mohamed Malick Fall, commended Nigeria for taking the bold step in leading the institutionalisation of coordinated humanitarian response to disasters in the region.

According to him, the rest of West Africa is looking up to what is being done in Nigeria, as successes recorded in the country will permeate the rest of the region.

In his welcome remarks, the National Security Adviser, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, said the workshop is a crucial step towards building a resilient and progressive nation, emphasising that poorly managed disasters can exacerbate insecurity, enable displacement, disrupt critical infrastructure and deepen societal fragilities.

He also noted that efforts aimed at strengthening the anticipatory capacity of the nation are a priority of the Tinubu administration, as it is essential in sustaining lives and securing national assets, among other goals.

On her part, the Special Assistant to the President on Humanitarian Affairs and Development Partners, Mrs Inna Audu, said the workshop was designed to accelerate the country’s journey towards a national early warning system that is integrated, inclusive, and anticipatory.

She noted that President Tinubu and Vice President Shettima are deeply committed to building a disaster-resilient Nigeria, stressing that the time for piecemeal responses was over and that stakeholders must shift to systems thinking where data, people, and policies are interconnected, and where foresight guides interventions.

There were also goodwill messages from the European Union and representatives of response agencies, development partners, Civil Society Organisations and the private sector, among others.

FG Moves To Curb Flood Disasters, Climate-Induced Crises As VP Shettima Launches Preemptive Action Plan

Kano Police Intercept Tramadol Worth Over N150m, Arrest Two Suspects

By: Zagazola Makama

The Kano State Police Command has intercepted a mini truck carrying six large bales of suspected tramadol tablets concealed beneath bags of cement, with an estimated street value of over N150 million.

Police sources said the seizure was made during a sting operation at Alharini village in the Ungogo Local Government Area.

According to the source, the truck was intercepted while disguised as transporting cement, but a thorough search revealed the concealed drugs.

Two suspects were arrested in connection with the incident. They are Imrana Rabiu, the truck driver from Bene town in Kebbi State, and Muntari Shuaibu of Kofar Gabas in Babura Local Government Area of Jigawa State.

The sources reiterated the command’s commitment to combating drug trafficking and other criminal activities in the state in collaboration with other security agencies.

Kano Police Intercept Tramadol Worth Over N150m, Arrest Two Suspects

The Urgent Need for FG Rehabilitation Damboa Road and Enhanced Military Support To End Insecurity

By: Zagazola Makama

The recent Improvised Explosive Device (IED) attack on the Maiduguri–Damboa road, which tragically resulted in the deaths of eight innocent passengers and left 21 others injured, underscores a critical issue: the deteriorating condition of this vital highway exacerbates the threats posed by insurgents in Borno State. This incident, which occurred near Komala Village, highlights the dangers of traversing this route without military escort and emphasizes the urgent need for the federal government to prioritize the rehabilitation of the road.

The Maiduguri–Damboa road serves as a crucial link between Maiduguri and the southern regions of Borno State and has long been susceptible to terrorist attacks. Its proximity to key insurgent hideouts and heavily forested areas, which serve as operational bases for Boko Haram and ISWAP, makes it a target for these groups. For years, insurgents have strategically planted IEDs along this route, targeting both military convoys and civilian vehicles. The road’s deterioration has further facilitated these deadly attacks.

What was once a one-hour journey now stretches to nearly six hours due to the poor road conditions. Potholes and crumbling infrastructure not only impede travel but also create ideal conditions for insurgents to plant explosives undetected. This situation was tragically illustrated on April 12, when a passenger bus struck an IED along the road, leading to devastating loss of life. Though, they traveled without escort, which even exposed to more danger.

Various security stakeholders been vocal about the road’s deteriorating state. insurgents have exploited its poor condition and with the road which continue to remained in disrepair, it has become a prime target for insurgents seeking to instill fear and disrupt transportation.

The lack of adequate infrastructure in the region poses risks not only to civilians but also to military personnel stationed there. While the Nigerian military continues to combat Boko Haram and ISWAP, it operates under increasingly challenging conditions, with poor road networks complicating troop movement and supply deliveries. The state of the roads significantly impacts the military’s ability to maintain security and conduct essential operations effectively.

In addition to infrastructural challenges, IEDs represent a major threat to military operations. Insurgents have become adept at planting these devices in strategic locations, and the deterioration of roads such as Maiduguri–Damboa enhances their capacity to carry out attacks. The military’s ability to execute operations, particularly in clearing insurgent strongholds, is severely hampered by the persistent threat of IEDs. These explosives pose an existential risk to troops and hinder progress in combating insurgency.

The Nigerian military, while striving to perform under difficult conditions, urgently requires more sophisticated equipment to counter the IED threat. Mines-resistant vehicles (MRVs) and other anti-IED technologies are essential for providing troops with the protection needed during operations. These vehicles are specifically designed to withstand the impact of explosive devices, offering soldiers much-needed security while patrolling volatile regions. With the right equipment, troops would be better positioned to neutralize insurgents, safely clear IEDs, and respond to threats with greater precision.

The federal government must prioritize the acquisition of advanced mines-resistant technologies, such as MRVs, to safeguard the lives of military personnel. In addition to these vehicles, investing in mine detection systems, bomb disposal units, and advanced surveillance technologies will enable the military to conduct operations with greater ease and efficiency. Equipping troops with these tools would significantly enhance their safety, improve operational success, and provide a more effective counter-insurgency strategy in light of the growing IED threat.

Governor Zulum has called for enhanced surveillance and more effective clearance operations to secure the road. He also emphasized the importance of regular route clearance patrols and the use of mine detection vehicles (MDVs) to neutralize threats. The federal government should prioritize the rehabilitation of this vital route, which serves not only as a lifeline for the people of Borno but also as a critical corridor for military operations.

As the situation currently stands, traveling along the Maiduguri–Damboa road without proper security escort remains perilous. Until the road is adequately rehabilitated and consistently monitored, both civilians and military personnel must exercise extreme caution. The journey that once took an hour can now extend to six hours, leaving passengers and military forces exposed to deadly attacks. Urgent action is required to ensure that the road is safe for both the local population and the troops tasked with their protection.

Zagazola Makama is a Counter Insurgency Expert and Security Analyst in the Lake Chad Region

The Urgent Need for FG Rehabilitation Damboa Road and Enhanced Military Support To End Insecurity