NEMA, Benue SEMA Begin Flood Simulation Exercise To Test

The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and the Benue State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) have commenced a three-day simulation exercise to test the state’s preparedness for flood disasters and identify weaknesses in its emergency response systems.

The exercise, code-named “Uwar Uma,” meaning “Saving Lives” in Tiv, began on Tuesday in Makurdi and is designed to assess how effectively authorities and communities can translate flood early-warning information into evacuation and emergency response actions.

The Acting Zonal Director, North Central, NEMA, Sulieman Mohammed, disclosed this during the training and orientation programme marking the commencement of the exercise.

Mohammed said the simulation would test the state’s capacity in early warning dissemination, evacuation, search and rescue, emergency communication and coordination among relevant agencies during a flood emergency.

He said the exercise was particularly important because of Benue’s river systems, floodplains, seasonal rainfall and settlements located around the River Benue and its tributaries.

According to him, the exercise would assess the ability of communities, Local Emergency Management Committees and state and federal agencies to activate response mechanisms as a flood emergency escalates.

He said the simulation was also intended to identify weaknesses that could undermine emergency response during an actual disaster.

“The purpose of the simulation is not to demonstrate perfection but to identify gaps in plans, communication systems, logistics, evacuation arrangements and inter-agency coordination,” Mohammed said.

The Special Adviser to Governor Hyacinth Alia on Disaster Management, Mimi Iyonov, who represented the governor, described flooding as one of Benue’s major disaster risks, stressing the need for continuous preparedness.

Iyonov said the exercise would test the state’s early-warning, evacuation, search-and-rescue, humanitarian response and recovery mechanisms.

She said effective disaster management required the involvement of government agencies, security organisations, humanitarian partners, traditional and community leaders, as well as residents in vulnerable communities.

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Also speaking, the National Project Management and Coordination Specialist for Nigeria at the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Dr Sunday Amama, said the exercise was supported by the World Bank and UNDP under the UNDP Sahel Resilience Project for Nigeria.

Amama said the simulation would test institutional coordination and emergency response mechanisms while generating lessons that could be applied during actual flood emergencies.

Earlier, the Head of Administration, Benue SEMA, Atii Samuel, who represented the agency’s Executive Secretary, James Iorpuu, said the workshop was designed to strengthen disaster preparedness and test existing response mechanisms.

The exercise, which runs from September 15 to 17, brings together ministries, departments and agencies, security and emergency response agencies, humanitarian organisations, Local Emergency Management Committees and other stakeholders.