FCTEMA Launches Awareness Campaign in High-Risk Flood Communities

The Federal Capital Territory Emergency Management Agency (FCTEMA) has initiated an emergency awareness and preparedness campaign across identified high-risk flood zones within the FCT to mitigate potential seasonal disasters.

The initiative follows directives from FCT Minister Nyesom Wike ordering early interventions, community risk assessments, and public sensitization ahead of peak rainfall. Officials launched the campaign with a town hall meeting involving local stakeholders at the palace of the Aguna of Gwagwalada, one of five area councils flagged for high flood vulnerability alongside AMAC, Kuje, Kwali, and Abaji.

FCTEMA officials emphasized that national climate forecasts place 33 states and the FCT at severe risk of flooding this year. Addressing local concerns, agency representatives clarified that local flooding in areas like Gwagwalada stems primarily from heavy surface runoff, blocked drainage, and illegal construction on natural waterways, rather than dam operations.

To improve preventative measures, the agency has instructed council leadership across all six area councils to activate local sanitary inspectors to enforce environmental hygiene and proper waste disposal.

Local leaders and residents called on authorities to focus on long-term structural solutions alongside awareness efforts. Community representatives cited inadequate waste infrastructure and riverbank settlements as major contributors to recurring flood damage, urging agencies to provide proper waste management equipment, conduct field assessments, and consider strategic relocation plans for vulnerable residents.

FCTEMA assured stakeholders that community requests and recommendations would be escalated to agency leadership, reaffirming ongoing efforts to collaborate with local traditional institutions for effective disaster management.