NEMA Raises Bar on Disaster Preparedness

The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) is making concerted efforts to bolster inter-agency collaboration and enhance the capacity of grassroots-level human resources for disaster preparedness and management.

The Agency has organised training programmes for over 500 persons drawn from different agencies, including NEMA itself. The aim of such training was to equip its personnel and stakeholders with the essential skills and knowledge required for effective disaster management.

The training programs were conducted in collaboration with international partners, such as the United Nations Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UN-OCHA) and the United States Forest Service, facilitated by USAID, and took place in Abuja.

The collaboration with UN-OCHA resulted in the training of 125 individuals divided into two cohorts with focus on Humanitarian Coordination Mechanism, Disaster Management Cycle, Institutional Capacity, Resource Mobilization, Information Management, Community-Based Disaster Management, Search and Rescue, Incident Command System, Disaster Preparedness, Risk Management, and Early Warning Systems.

The Director General of NEMA, Mustapha Habib Ahmed, who speaking at the opening sessions, emphasized the imperative of capacity-building programs. He stressed the importance of continuously enhancing the knowledge and skills of disaster managers to ensure sustainable and efficient disaster management in Nigeria.

Ahmed stated that “training of personnel is a critical component for effective and efficient disaster management” and affirmed NEMA’s commitment to exploring avenues for ongoing capacity development among its staff and stakeholders.

Highlighting NEMA’s recent training efforts, Ahmed mentioned previous collaborations with the United States Forest Service in January 2023 and Bournemouth University Disaster Management Center in February 2023.

These training programs included participants from NEMA staff, State Emergency Management Agencies (SEMAs), and other stakeholders. Ahmed also hinted at upcoming capacity development programs in the near future.

This collaboration seeks to facilitate coordinated disaster management efforts, aligning with NEMA’s mandates, while simultaneously bolstering the capacities of SEMAs to effectively manage disasters at the state and local government levels.

The Director General expressed his deep appreciation for the collaboration with UNOCHA, USAID, and USFS, as well as the support from various other international development partners, which have been instrumental to the success of NEMA’s capacity development initiatives.

Ahmed encouraged participants to leverage the knowledge and skills acquired to enhance the services provided by their respective agencies and locations.  

Participants at the training included staff from SEMAs, officers of Fire Services, the Federal Road Safety Corps, the Nigerian Red Cross Society, and others.