The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has commenced a refresher training to strengthen responders’ capacity for urban search and rescue during floods.
Halima Suleiman, Head of Operations, NEMA Kaduna Operations Office, disclosed this on Wednesday in Kaduna while opening a refresher course on Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) for flooding.
Suleiman said the training was designed to improve responders’ preparedness, skills and coordination.
She said lessons from the 2022, 2024 and 2025 flood operations had exposed new challenges for rescue teams.
“We are not just rescuing people from open water; we are navigating through urban settlements with submerged houses, collapsed walls, live electrical hazards and panicked populations,” she said.
According to her, the changing nature of flood emergencies required updated skills, modern techniques and effective coordination among response agencies.
She said the training would strengthen responders’ capacity in urban search and rescue and flood-water rescue, ahead of possible flooding predicted by the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) and the Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency (NIHSA).
Suleiman urged NEMA, State Emergency Management Agencies (SEMAs) and other first responders to strengthen collaboration and address operational gaps identified from previous interventions.
“Let us use this opportunity to correct past operational gaps and share field lessons,” she said.
She also urged responders to prioritise their safety during rescue operations.
“We must all return alive,” she said.
Suleiman urged residents in flood-prone areas to remain vigilant, heed early warning information and comply with advisories from relevant authorities.
She said flooding could occur at any stage of the rainy season due to water releases, rising water levels or heavy downpours.
Also speaking, Mr Ahan Theophilus, Higher Technical Officer, National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA), Kaduna Area Office, said the exercise would help communities prepare for flooding and improve safety during emergencies.
Theophilus, who represented the Zonal Manager, Engr. Muhammad Balabello, said NIWA, as the regulatory authority for the nation’s inland waterways, had a role to play in providing safety information to the public.
He said the training emphasised the proper use of life jackets, particularly in communities around waterways.
“It is important not only to have a life jacket but to know how to wear it properly and professionally to ensure that it can effectively save lives,” he said.
Participants included officials of the Kaduna State Fire and Public Safety Service, Federal Fire Service, National Orientation Agency (NOA), Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Nigerian Red Cross Society and media practitioners.
