UN Releases US5 million for Anticipatory Action Against Floods in Nigeria
The United Nations has released US$5 million from the Central Emergency Fund (CERF) for anticipatory action for floods in Nigeria. The release was made by the UN Emergency Relief Coordinator, Tom Fletcher.
This was discussed in an announcement by the UN’s Humanitarian Coordinator in Nigeria, Mohamed Fall, who highlighted the need to act ahead of predictable shocks based on strong risk analysis.
Fall said: “Anticipating and acting ahead of crises such as floods saves lives. It also helps to protect peoples’ livelihoods, which in turn reduces their vulnerability.”
He added: “In a global landscape characterised by reducing funds for humanitarian action, this proactive approach is critical as it does not only reduce the worst impacts of emergencies, but it also helps to reduce the overall cost of the humanitarian response.”
The $5 million CERF allocation complements Government-led efforts through the anticipatory action task force. The task force brings together key agencies, including the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMET), the Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency, and the National Emergency Management Agency, 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 to assist 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 (which 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 over northern states such as Bauchi, Borno, Jigawa, Kano, Katsina, Sokoto, Yobe and Zamfara is anticipated between early June and July 2025. This period coincides with the lean season (the period between harvests), 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, dedicating 5 percent ($45 million) of total requirements ($910 million) to anticipatory action. However, this CERF allocation represents only 11 percent of the requirement for anticipatory action. More funding is urgently needed to scale up early action.
