The Nigerian Red Cross Society (NRCS), with support from the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) through the Disaster Response Emergency Fund (DREF), has activated a 10-day anticipatory action operation in Cross River State to strengthen flood preparedness and mitigate the humanitarian impact of possible flooding during the 2026 rainy season.
The intervention brings together the Nigerian Red Cross, Cross River State Emergency Management Agency (CR-SEMA), government agencies and humanitarian stakeholders. It commenced with a coordination meeting in Calabar on Tuesday, August 11, 2026.
The operation follows the National Flood Advisory issued by the Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency (NIHSA), which warned of an increased likelihood of riverine and flash flooding in several parts of the country due to sustained rainfall, rising river levels and increased surface runoff.
Declaring the meeting open, the Director General of CR-SEMA, Mr. Efa Nyong, welcomed the Nigerian Red Cross delegation from its National Headquarters in Abuja and other participating stakeholders, stressing the need for proactive measures ahead of potential flooding.
Nyong emphasised that effective disaster management depended largely on early warning, preparedness, strong coordination and community-level action. He said the intervention would complement the State’s ongoing efforts to strengthen flood preparedness and public awareness across the 18 Local Government Areas.
He called for sustained collaboration among stakeholders to ensure that communities at risk were adequately prepared to protect lives and livelihoods, and thanked participating agencies for their continued cooperation. He urged stakeholders to sustain the partnership as the State intensifies preparations for the 2026 flood season, stressing that early action, public awareness and community participation remained critical to reducing the impact of flooding.
The Disaster Management Officer of the Nigerian Red Cross Society, Calabar Branch, Mr. Agbor Okim, made a presentation on disaster preparedness, focusing on flood risks, early warning systems and anticipatory action.
Following an assessment of available flood-risk information, stakeholders selected Biase and Calabar South Local Government Areas as priority areas for the intervention. In Biase, Agwagune and Adim communities were selected, while Anantigha and Ofokang were identified in Calabar South.
The 10-day operation will feature early warning dissemination, public awareness campaigns, evacuation preparedness, community engagement, WASH interventions, protection of household and livelihood assets and efforts to strengthen local response capacity.
The programme will also target schools through flood-risk awareness and the promotion of safe practices among students, teachers and school communities. Further coordination meetings are scheduled for Biase on Wednesday, August 12, and Calabar South on Thursday, August 13, ahead of community-level activities.
Planned activities include flood awareness campaigns in schools, community clean-up exercises targeting clogged drainages and waterways, radio sensitisation programmes and a roadshow across the selected communities to promote early warning and flood preparedness.
Speaking at the meeting, the Vice Chairman of Biase Local Government Area and Head of the Local Emergency Management Committee, Hon. Ekuma Ngwu, commended the Nigerian Red Cross for selecting Biase for the intervention and conveyed the support of the Local Government Chairman.
Ngwu appealed for consideration to be given to other flood-prone communities within the LGA, particularly those experiencing similar challenges along major road corridors. Responding, Okim said the selected communities were identified based on their level of vulnerability and the potential impact of the forecast situation, while noting that opportunities might exist to scale up the intervention to other vulnerable areas.
The Nigerian Red Cross Society’s Livelihood and Liaison Officer from its National Headquarters, Abuja, Mrs. Blessing John, commended Cross River stakeholders for their preparedness and cooperation, stressing that anticipatory action was designed to enable communities to act before flooding reached critical levels.
The Manager of the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet), Calabar Operational Office, Mr. Joseph A. Iyanam, conveyed the goodwill of the agency’s Director General, Professor Charles Anosike, and reaffirmed NiMet’s readiness to collaborate with emergency management stakeholders on early warning and flood preparedness.
Representatives of the Federal Road Safety Corps, Nigeria Police Force, Federal Fire Service, Ministry of Environment, Ministry of Information, NIHSA, Local Emergency Management Committees and other relevant stakeholders participated in the meeting.
The State Secretary of the Nigerian Red Cross Society, Calabar Branch, Mr. Eni Joseph, appreciated participants for responding to the invitation at short notice and commended the CR-SEMA Director General for his continued support to the Society.
By David Asu
