The Government of Japan and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) have signed an Arrangement Letter to implement a 50,000-dollar flood resilience project in Niger State.
The project aims to strengthen long-term societal stability and reduce the impact of climate-induced flooding.
The signing ceremony for the project, titled “Strengthening Flood Resilience in Nigeria to Foster Long-Term Societal Stability, with Focus on Niger State,” was held on Wednesday in Abuja.
The ceremony marked the formal launch of a 12-month implementation period in Mokwa Local Government Area of Niger State.
Speaking at the event, the Japanese Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr Hideo Suzuki, said the project reflected a shared commitment to turning vulnerabilities into strength and crises into opportunities.
He recalled that flooding in 2025 claimed over 500 lives and displaced more than 1,000 persons in Niger State, particularly in Mokwa, underscoring the need for improved disaster preparedness.
“Last year, over 500 lives were lost, more than 1,000 people were displaced, and critical infrastructure and farmlands were destroyed in Mokwa. These are not mere statistics, but human stories of loss and hardship,” Suzuki said.
“This is why the Government of Japan is supporting this UNESCO project with approximately 50,000 dollars. Over the next 12 months, we aim to shift from reactive disaster response to proactive climate-resilient development.”
He said the project would focus on capacity building, strengthening early warning systems, improving agricultural production, and applying innovative climate-risk-informed decision-making methodologies.
According to him, the initiative aligns with Japan’s development priorities under the Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD) and supports key Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities) and SDG 13 (Climate Action).
In his remarks, the UNESCO Head of Office in Nigeria, Dr John-Paul Abiaga, said the 2025 floods exposed the urgent need to transition from emergency response to preparedness and coordinated action.
“The impact of the 2025 floods in Niger State showed the need to move from reacting to disasters to preparing for them, from fragmented efforts to coordinated action, and from short-term relief to lasting resilience,” he said.
Abiaga described the project as a science-driven and community-focused intervention aimed at strengthening early action, improving climate-informed decision-making, and building local expertise.
He expressed UNESCO’s appreciation to the Government of Japan and other stakeholders for their support, describing the Arrangement Letter as a commitment to protecting lives and livelihoods.
The Permanent Secretary of the Ecological Project Office, Dr Aisha Ndayako, said the office remained fully committed to the successful implementation of the project.
She noted that the office had the statutory responsibility of coordinating national efforts to provide sustainable solutions to Nigeria’s ecological challenges.
“These realities underscore the urgent need to move beyond emergency response and adopt proactive, community-centred and climate-resilient solutions,” she said.
Ndayako added that lessons and best practices from the project would serve as a model for other flood-prone communities across the country.
Also speaking, Nigeria’s Ambassador and Permanent Delegate to UNESCO, Dr Hajo Sani, said that although the project focused on Niger State, it had strong potential for nationwide replication.
“While the immediate focus is Niger State, this project can generate practical lessons and tested models that can be replicated in other flood-prone regions of Nigeria,” she said.
Earlier, Dr Enang Moma, National Professional Officer for the Natural Sciences Sector at UNESCO, said the project was developed in response to a call for proposals under the Japanese Supplementary Budget.
She explained that the initiative aimed to strengthen national and community capacities for flood preparedness through improved institutional coordination, climate-risk-informed decision-making and targeted capacity development.
According to her, the signing of the Arrangement Letter formalizes the partnership between UNESCO and the Government of Japan and officially launches the project to support flood resilience and long-term stability in Nigeria.
She added that the project objectives include formalizing the partnership, raising public awareness, demonstrating Japan’s commitment to climate-resilient development, and reaffirming long-standing cooperation between Japan and UNESCO in Nigeria.
