…VP Shettima Launches Preemptive Action Plan

By Johnbosco Agbakwuru

ABUJA — As the rainy season begins, bringing with it the risk of devastating floods, the federal government has taken proactive steps to prevent flooding and address climate-induced crises across the country.

On Wednesday, Vice President Kashim Shettima launched Nigeria’s Anticipatory Action Framework, a plan aimed at shifting disaster management from reactive responses to proactive preparedness. This framework leverages early warnings, local empowerment, and pre-arranged financing to save lives and livelihoods.

The framework includes the establishment of a dedicated trigger group made up of meteorological and emergency management agencies that will synthesize data to enable forecasts up to two weeks in advance.

During the framework’s validation workshop at the National Counter Terrorism Centre (NCTC), located in the Office of the National Security Adviser in Abuja, VP Shettima described the initiative as a timely intervention to address the rising threats of climate-induced disasters like flooding, 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,” said Shettima, according to a statement from his spokesman, Stanley Nkwocha.

The Vice President emphasized the urgent need to move away from the costly and inadequate reactive approach to disaster management. “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,” he explained.

He revealed that Nigeria loses close to 5% of its GDP every year to such 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,” Shettima added.

The framework is built on three strategic pillars: Early warning systems powered by satellite technology, delivered through community-based networks for real-time, life-saving information.

Pre-triggered financing, ensuring resources are made available before a disaster strikes.

Localized preparedness, empowering communities to respond to threats before they escalate.

Shettima cited examples from Benue State, where trained volunteers, responding to early warning alerts, successfully evacuated over 80,000 people within 72 hours. “That is what it means to build early warning systems that work,” he said.

The trigger group will consist of national agencies, including NiMet, NiHSA, NEMA, NASRDA, and NOA, working in collaboration with international partners like UNOCHA, WFP, FAO, and the IFRC.

The Vice President stressed, “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.”

In his keynote address, Professor Nentawe Yilwatda, Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management, assured that the Tinubu administration is committed to operationalizing the framework. He emphasized the need for response agencies to utilize the National Social Register to build a flood-resistant nation.

Mohamed Malick Fall, the UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Nigeria, praised the country for taking bold steps in coordinating humanitarian response to disasters. He noted that successes in Nigeria will serve as a model for the rest of West Africa.

Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, the National Security Adviser, highlighted the importance of strengthening anticipatory disaster response to reduce the impact of crises. He noted that well-managed disaster responses can prevent insecurity, displacement, and damage to critical infrastructure.

Mrs. Inna Audu, the Special Assistant to the President on Humanitarian Affairs and Development Partners, echoed the commitment of President Tinubu and Vice President Shettima to building a disaster-resilient Nigeria, emphasizing the shift towards an integrated, anticipatory early warning system.

The workshop also received goodwill messages from the European Union, response agencies, development partners, Civil Society Organisations, and the private sector.