By BANNERNEWS Reporter, Calabar
The Nigerian Red Cross Society has identified Biase and Calabar South Local Government Areas of Cross River State as priority areas for a 10-day anticipatory action intervention ahead of possible flooding during the 2026 rainy season.
The Disaster Management Officer of the Red Cross, Calabar Branch, Mr Agbor Okim, disclosed this at a flood preparedness coordination meeting involving the Red Cross, Cross River State Emergency Management Agency (CR-SEMA), government agencies and humanitarian stakeholders in Calabar yesterday.
The meeting followed a National Flood Advisory issued by the Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency (NIHSA), warning of increased risks of riverine and flash flooding in parts of the country due to sustained rainfall, rising river levels and increased surface runoff.
Okim said the intervention, supported by the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) through the Disaster Response Emergency Fund (DREF), would focus on Biase communities of Agwagune and Adim, and Anantigha and Afokang in Calabar South.
He said the 10-day operation would involve early-warning dissemination, public awareness campaigns, evacuation preparedness, community engagement, water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) activities, protection of household and livelihood assets, and strengthening of local response capacity.
According to him, schools in the selected communities would also be targeted through flood-risk awareness campaigns and the promotion of safety measures among pupils, teachers and school communities.
Other activities planned under the intervention include community clean-up exercises targeting blocked drains and waterways, radio sensitisation programmes and a roadshow across the selected communities to promote early warning and flood preparedness.
Speaking at the meeting, the Director-General of CR-SEMA, Mr Efa Nyong, welcomed the intervention and stressed the importance of early warning, preparedness, coordination and community-level action in reducing the impact of disasters.
Nyong said the Red Cross intervention would complement the state’s efforts to strengthen flood preparedness and public awareness across the 18 local government areas, urging stakeholders to sustain collaboration in protecting lives and livelihoods.
The Vice Chairman of Biase LGA and Head of the Local Emergency Management Committee, Hon. Ekuma Ngwu, commended the Red Cross for selecting the LGA and conveyed the support of the council chairman.
Ngwu, however, appealed for the inclusion of other flood-prone communities in the LGA, particularly those facing similar challenges along major road corridors.
Responding, Okim said the selected communities were prioritised based on their vulnerability and the anticipated impact of the forecast flooding, while noting that the intervention could be expanded to other vulnerable areas if opportunities arose.
The Red Cross Livelihood and Liaison Officer from its National Headquarters, Abuja, Mrs Blessing John, said anticipatory action was designed to enable communities to take preventive measures before flooding reached critical levels.
Further coordination meetings are scheduled to hold in Biase on Wednesday and Calabar South on Thursday, ahead of community-level activities.
