The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has disclosed that it carried out a total of 87 relief interventions in 2025, providing emergency support to about 17,000 persons displaced by various disasters across the North-West geopolitical zone.
The North-West Zonal Director of NEMA, Mr. Sani Lokoja, made this known in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria on Friday in Kaduna while reviewing the agency’s relief operations in the zone during the year under review.
Lokoja explained that the displaced persons were affected by a range of disasters, including banditry attacks, flooding, rainstorms, windstorms, fire outbreaks and communal clashes in different states within the zone. He noted that these incidents disrupted livelihoods and forced thousands of residents to flee their homes.
According to him, Kaduna State recorded the highest number of NEMA interventions with 34 relief operations, followed closely by Sokoto State with 33 interventions. Kano State recorded 20 interventions, while Kebbi had 16. Katsina recorded 14 interventions, Jigawa seven, and Zamfara six.
The zonal director identified banditry as the leading cause of displacement in Kaduna, Katsina, Zamfara, Sokoto and parts of Kebbi States, where insecurity has continued to force communities to abandon their homes. He added that flooding and windstorms accounted for the majority of emergency responses in Kano and Jigawa States.
Lokoja also said fire outbreaks affected both urban and rural communities across the zone, leading to the destruction of homes, markets and other properties, and further increasing the number of displaced persons.
He stated that NEMA provided relief materials and emergency assistance to affected individuals and communities in line with the agency’s mandate. These interventions, he said, were carried out in collaboration with state and local governments, as well as other relevant stakeholders, to ensure timely and effective response.
Lokoja stressed the need for improved disaster preparedness, early warning systems and stronger coordination among stakeholders to address the growing challenges posed by insecurity and climate related disasters in the North-West.
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