Disaster: UN allocates $5m to Nigeria to prepare for flood emergencies

The United Nations Emergency Relief Coordinator, Tom Fletcher, has released 5 million United States Dollars from the Central Emergency Fund (CERF) for anticipatory action for floods in Nigeria.

This was announced by the UN’s Humanitarian Coordinator in Nigeria, Mohamed Malick Fall.

Mr. Fall highlighted the need to act ahead of predictable shocks based on strong risk analysis.

“Anticipating and acting ahead of crises such as floods saves lives.

“It also helps to protect peoples’ livelihoods which in turn reduces their vulnerability.

“In a global landscape characterised by reducing funds for humanitarian action, this proactive approach is critical.

“It does not only reduce the worst impacts of emergencies, but it also helps to reduce the overall cost of the humanitarian response,” said Mr. Fall.

The $5 million CERF allocation complements government-led efforts through the anticipatory action taskforce.

The taskforce brings together key agencies, including the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMET) and the Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency.

Others are the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) under the stewardship of the Office of the Vice-President.

This is in collaboration with the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).

Globally OCHA, which manages the CERF and Country-Based Pooled Funds (CBPFs) such as the Nigerian Humanitarian Fund (NHF), is spearheading anticipatory action assisting millions of people by addressing hazards such as floods, droughts, storms and cholera.

In October 2024, CERF released $5 million to scale up the flood response and address critical needs in Borno and Bauchi states in north-east Nigeria, and Sokoto State in the north-west.

The CERF funds complemented a $6 million allocation from the NHF.

This included $2 million for anticipatory action released in tandem with the large-scale floods, which displaced an estimated 400,000 people in Borno State.

The floods decimated livelihoods and destroyed hundreds of thousands of hectares of cropland ahead of harvests).

According to NiMET’s 2025 Seasonal Climate Prediction forecast, the onset of the rainy season is anticipated between early June and July.

The northern states expected to be affected include Bauchi, Borno, Jigawa, Kano, Katsina, Sokoto, Yobe and Zamfara,

This period coincides with the lean season, that is the period between harvests.

This is the period when food insecurity and malnutrition levels rise alongside flooding and outbreaks of diseases such as cholera.

Timely preparedness against these potential hazards is critical.

Nigeria’s 2025 Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan (HNRP) has outlined a risk-informed proactive approach.

It dedicates 5 per cent, about $45 million, of total requirements, about $910 million, for anticipatory action.

This CERF allocation represents only 11 per cent of the requirement for anticipatory action.

Authorities note that more funding is urgently needed to scale up early action.

Anticipatory action

Anticipatory action is acting ahead of predicted hazards to prevent or reduce acute humanitarian impacts before they fully unfold.

Effective implementation of anticipatory action ideally requires three elements:

• Pre-agreed triggers – thresholds and decision-making rules based on reliable, timely and measurable forecasts;
• Pre-agreed activities – accountable, feasible, effective and efficient actions to be implemented to support vulnerable communities in the window of opportunity between the trigger moment and the full impact of a shock; and,
• Pre-arranged financing guaranteed and available to be released based on the pre-agreed trigger towards the pre-agreed activities.

Anticipatory action delivers timely, cost-effective interventions, reducing reliance on expensive post-crisis aid.

It helps cut post-disaster logistics expenses and prevents irreversible losses.

For example, 65 per cent of agricultural economic damages in the past 15 years were caused by natural disasters.

Investing in readiness strengthens resilience, enabling communities to better adapt and protect livelihoods, safeguarding long-term development gains.

Since 2020, the OCHA-managed CERF and CBPFs have allocated $109 million and $28 million, respectively.

This is part of anticipatory action worldwide, which has assisted over 4 million people before crises like droughts and floods.

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