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The Edo State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) said no fewer than 43 fire incidents, flooding, and other disasters were recorded in 2025.
DAILY POST reports that over 10,000 persons were affected, directly or indirectly, by the disasters.
Dr. Jerry Idahosa disclosed this on Tuesday, February 17, 2026, at a stakeholders’ engagement themed “Strengthening Disaster Management: Lessons from 2025, Vision 2026.”
Idahosa listed the disaster incidents to include fire, flooding, rain/windstorms, banditry/conflict, and others.
The event was organized by the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) in collaboration with Edo SEMA.
He said the state recorded 15 fire incidents, 10 flooding, 10 rain/windstorms, one banditry/conflict, and seven other incidents within the period.
He explained that the agency is committed to moving from reactive emergency response to proactive preparedness, ensuring that Edo State is not only ready for disasters but resilient against them.
In his remarks, NEMA Head, Benin Operations Office, Kenneth Ojudeire, said the stakeholder engagement aimed to review disaster management in Edo State in 2025.
Ojudeire said it was geared towards assessing what worked, what failed, and what can be done to improve and bridge identified gaps and lapses.
He noted that disaster management is about proactive planning and preparedness; hence, critical stakeholders are brought together to brainstorm for effective disaster management in the state.
He said the agency would strengthen community engagement, early warning dissemination, resource mobilization, quick response, and other measures to enhance the performance of the agency and its stakeholders in 2026.
The Head of Benin Operations added that there are areas of shortcomings, especially when disasters occur far from the city center.
“These are the areas we are looking to address so that early responses can reach victims on time,” he said.
He explained that both NEMA and Edo SEMA need more community engagement, improved collaboration, and efficient early warning dissemination to ensure timely response and action.
On her part, Rukky Williams, representative of the State Commissioner, Ministry of Public Safety and Security, Festus Ebea, noted that the meeting was designed to strengthen disaster management systems.
Williams assured stronger collaboration with disaster management agencies and other critical stakeholders to ensure more proactive preparedness aimed at curbing disasters and responding to emergencies.
Over 10,000 affected as Edo SEMA reports fires, floods, storms
