The Government of Japan and UNESCO have signed an Arrangement Letter to implement a $50,000 flood resilience project in Niger State.
The project aims at strengthening long-term societal stability and reducing 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”, took place on Wednesday, January 28, 2026, in Abuja.
The ceremony marked the formal launch of a 12-month window for implementation in Mokwa Local Government Area of Niger.
The Ambassador of Japan to Nigeria, Mr. Hideo Suzuki, said the project reflected a shared commitment to turning vulnerabilities into strength and crisis into opportunities.
He recalled that, in 2025, flooding claimed over 500 lives and displaced over 1,000 persons in Niger State, hence the need to prepare against such disasters in the future.
“Last year, particularly Mokwa area, over 500 lives were lost, over 1,000 displaced, critical infrastructure and vast farmlands were ravaged, so much and these are not mere statistics, but human stories of loss and hardship.
“This is why the Government of Japan is about to support this UNESCO project with approximately $50,000, and over the next 12 months we will shift from reactive disaster response to proactive climate resilient development.
“We will ensure capacity building, strengthened early warning systems, nuclear production and innovative climate risk, informed decision analysis methodology towards the project.”
According to him, the project aligns with Japan’s development priorities under the Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD) and supports key Sustainable Development Goals, particularly SDG 11 and SDG 13.
In his remarks, Dr John-Paul Abiaga, UNESCO Head of Office in Nigeria, said the 2025 floods exposed the urgent need to move from emergency response to preparedness and coordinated action.
“The impact of the 2025 flood in Niger State showed us the urgent need to move from reacting to disasters, to preparing for them.
“We need to move 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.
“This project is about preparing community for early action, about improving coordination in climate informed decision making, and also in training experts, Nigerian experts,” he said.
He expressed UNESCO’s appreciation to the Government of Japan and other stakeholders for their support, describing the Arrangement Letter as a promise to protect lives and livelihoods.
Dr Aisha Ndayako, Permanent Secretary, Ecological Project Office, said the office remained fully committed to the successful implementation of the project.
According to her, the Ecological Project Office has the statutory responsibility for coordinating national efforts aimed at providing sustainable solutions to Nigeria’s ecological challenges.
“These realities underscore the urgent need to move beyond emergency response and adopt proactive, community-centered and climate resilient solution.”
Ndayako assured that the project’s lessons and best practices would serve as a model for other flood-prone communities across the country.
Dr Hajo Sani, Ambassador and Permanent Delegate of Nigeria to UNESCO, said that although the project focused on Niger State, it had strong potential for replication nationwide.
“While the immediate focus is on Niger State, we see this project as a strong foundation, one that can generate practical lessons, test models and their momentum for replication in other flood prone region of Nigeria,” she said.
Earlier, Dr Enang Moma, National Professional Officer, Natural Science Sector, UNESCO, explained that the project was developed in response to the Japanese Supplementary Budget’s call for proposals.
She said the initiative aimed at strengthening national and community capacities for flood preparedness through improved institutional coordination, climate-risk-informed decision-making and targeted capacity development.
According to her, the Arrangement Letter signing ceremony formalises the partnership between UNESCO and the Government of Japan and officially launches the project to support flood resilience and long-term stability in Nigeria.
The project objectives included formalising the partnership, raising public awareness, demonstrating Japan’s commitment to climate-resilient development.
The objectives also include reaffirming long-standing cooperation between Japan and UNESCO in Nigeria.
By Ijeoma Olorunfemi