President Bola Tinubu has officially inaugurated the Global Flood Disaster Management Project (GFDMP), marking a significant shift in Nigeria's approach to handling climate-induced flooding disasters.
New Era in Flood Management
The President, represented by the Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Abubakar Kyari, launched the multi-year initiative on Tuesday in Abuja. The project aims to transform Nigeria's flood response from reactive measures to proactive prevention strategies.
President Tinubu emphasized that climate change impacts are persistent, requiring strategic, coordinated, and sustainable solutions. He stressed that building resilience requires consistent investment, careful planning, continuous monitoring, and technological innovation over extended periods.
Four Pillars of Flood Defense
The comprehensive project rests on four fundamental pillars designed to provide comprehensive flood protection:
Advanced Early Warning Systems: This component will enhance forecasting capabilities, introduce real-time monitoring, and deploy digital alert systems to give citizens and government agencies more preparation time.
Flood Resilient Infrastructure: The project will focus on building and reinforcing infrastructure capable of withstanding flood conditions while minimizing damage.
Capacity Building and Knowledge Transfer: This element ensures that local authorities and communities gain the necessary skills and knowledge to manage flood risks effectively.
Community Engagement and Local Participation: The initiative recognizes that successful flood management requires active involvement from local communities throughout the process.
Government Commitment and Global Partnership
President Tinubu described the project as a major step forward in addressing climate-related disasters that consistently damage farmland, displace families, and cripple critical infrastructure across the nation.
Nigeria takes pride in joining this global movement, the President noted, highlighting that his administration has already prioritized early warning systems, modern hydrological infrastructure, improved disaster-response coordination, and environmental protection measures.
The GFDMP will strengthen and accelerate these existing priorities by providing access to global expertise and advanced technological support. President Tinubu pledged his government's full cooperation, active participation, and unwavering commitment to ensuring the multi-year program reaches every vulnerable community in Nigeria.
He declared that today marks the beginning of a new era where nations face floods with preparation rather than fear, with resilience instead of vulnerability, and through partnership rather than isolation.
The President acknowledged organizations and individuals who contributed to developing the visionary program, expressing hope that together, we can build a world where no community lives in fear of the next flood disaster.
In his welcome address, Mr. Umar Mohammed, Director General of the Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency (NIHSA), emphasized that recent flood risk statistics represent real families whose livelihoods have been severely disrupted. He reinforced that proactive preparedness proves far more cost-effective than emergency response measures.
