Imo State Deploys 135 Flood and Disaster Responders Across 27 LGAs

The Imo State government has inaugurated 135 Local Government Emergency Management Committee (LGEMC) responders to tackle flooding and other environmental disasters across its 27 council areas.

The responders—five from each local government area—were officially inaugurated in Owerri on Thursday after undergoing a two-day intensive training.

Mr. Nnamdi Igwe, Head of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) for Abia and Imo States, explained that the initiative would make disaster interventions quicker and more effective, particularly in hard-to-reach communities.

Equipped with fire blankets, extinguishers, reflective jackets, first aid kits, and other emergency tools, the LGEMCs are expected to replicate NEMA’s work at the grassroots level, providing immediate response ahead of state and federal emergency teams.

Igwe emphasized the importance of timely information sharing from residents, urging citizens to promptly notify authorities of emergencies to minimize casualties and damages. He also revealed that similar structures would soon be rolled out across all 36 states to strengthen nationwide disaster preparedness.