The National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA, has reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening disaster preparedness across Nigeria, with a renewed emphasis on proactive strategies and multi-agency collaboration.
This assurance was given by the Director General of NEMA, Zubaida Umar, during a working visit by officials from the Simulation and Crisis Management Directorate of the Department of State Services to the agency’s headquarters in Abuja.
Umar explained that the agency is intensifying efforts to reduce disaster risks through improved early warning systems, enhanced preparedness measures, and coordinated response strategies involving key stakeholders nationwide.
“We remain focused on advancing a proactive and risk-informed approach to disaster management, with emphasis on early warning dissemination, preparedness, mitigation, and coordinated response to emerging threats,” she said.
She noted that NEMA has already taken concrete steps to mitigate the potential impact of flooding during the upcoming rainy season. These measures were triggered by forecasts contained in the 2026 Seasonal Climate Prediction by the Nigerian Meteorological Agency and the 2026 Annual Flood Outlook issued by the Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency.
According to her, the agency has ramped up engagement with stakeholders, convened technical coordination platforms, and launched sensitisation campaigns aimed at both state governments and vulnerable communities.
Umar also assured the visiting delegation of NEMA’s readiness to deepen collaboration, particularly in areas such as disaster simulation planning, preparedness, and emergency response coordination.
“We are ready to continue working closely to enhance coordinated emergency response across the country,” she added.
On her part, Safiya Yusuf, Acting Assistant Director General of the Directorate, said the visit was designed to strengthen institutional partnerships and improve the country’s crisis response framework.
She highlighted the Directorate’s role in providing support at all stages of emergencies—before, during, and after incidents—and reaffirmed its commitment to working closely with NEMA to enhance preparedness nationwide.
