By Mercy Emmanuel
Kaduna State Partners with Clerics to Combat Flood Disaster
The Kaduna State Emergency Management Agency (KADSEMA) has partnered with religious leaders to disseminate early warning alerts to vulnerable communities in preparation for the impending flood disaster. This move is in response to the 2025 flood outlook, which listed Kaduna among the states at high risk of serious flooding.
According to Dr. Usman Mazadu, Executive Secretary of KADSEMA, the agency has engaged Islamic and Christian clerics in a one-day workshop to reorient them on their role in disaster risk reduction. The workshop, themed “Leveraging Faith Institutions in Mitigating the Impact of Flooding and Other Disasters,” brought together clerics, vice-chairmen of local government councils, and officials from all 23 LGAs of the state.
Mazadu emphasized that disaster management is a collective duty involving communities and religious leaders, not just the government’s responsibility. He thanked international organizations such as Christian Aid, UNICEF, and the United Nations for supporting the state’s flood preparedness campaign. The state government has taken proactive steps since 2023 to curb flooding, including sensitization efforts, clearing of waterways, and demolition of illegal structures erected on flood-prone corridors.
Thirteen local government areas in Kaduna have been identified as high-risk zones for flooding. To mitigate the impact, KADSEMA, in collaboration with development partners, is working to strengthen early warning systems and emergency response plans. Mr. Tabat Baba, Programme Officer of Christian Aid Nigeria, highlighted the need for two-way communication between communities and national agencies, noting that disaster alerts should not be one-sided.
“We want communities to understand forecasts and respond before floods happen,” Baba said. Faith leaders at the session pledged to use their pulpits, mosques, and churches to pass the message across, describing it as a “moral responsibility” to protect lives and property.
The partnership aims to produce actionable plans to strengthen early warning systems and emergency response plans, with a focus on vulnerable communities. With increased rainfall already recorded across parts of Kaduna State, the engagement marks another step in Kaduna’s evolving disaster risk management strategy.