Tag: NEMA

 

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Mrs Zubaida Umar, Director-General, National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), has appealed for continues collaboration with stakeholders and customers for effective service delivery.

She stated this at a sensitisation rally in commemoration of Customer Service Week on Friday in Sokoto.

The Newsmen reports that the event, with a theme: ”Mission Impossible” was organised by the agency as part of 2025 customer service week activities.

Umar, represented by the Zonal Head, Alhaji Aliyu Kafindangi, said: “The heart of a successful agency lies on its commitment to delivering exceptional services to its customers and stakeholders.

”In our case, those we served are often the most vulnerable members of society, victims of emergencies and disasters.

”Our customers, whether they are victims of natural disasters, displaced persons, or communities impacted by disasters, rely on us for timely, efficient, and compassionate assistance.” She said.

She observed that as emergency managers, the quality of services the agency delivered was akin to a difference between life and death.

She added that NEMA activities covered millions of Nigerians whose lives and livelihoods depend on agency’s efficiency, empathy, and professionalism.

” Agency is responding to disasters, coordinating humanitarian relief, managing internally displaced persons’ camps, or strengthening community resilience.

” Our success is measured by the trust and satisfaction of the people we serve,” Umar added.

She explained that NEMA mandate demands more than just coordination of emergency response, it demands excellence in every action and integrity in every process.

The D-G stressed that quality assurance ensures that every relief effort reaches the right people, at the right time, with the right resources.

” Compliance strengthens public trust and aligns our humanitarian interventions with national policies and international standards,” he said.

According to her, the customer service week is a global awareness initiative that recognises the essential role of customer service in organisations and the people who provide those services.

She underscored the importance of recognising the contributions of each customer towards achieving the set mission.

”Whether you are in the frontline of disaster response, logistics, planning or administration, your work is an integral part of emergency management.

”It is through your efforts that we are able to coordinate swift and effective responses to disasters/emergencies across the country,” she confirmed.

The DG commended the staff of the agency for their resilience and proactive efforts in discharging their duties, adding that their professionalism and dedication speaks volumes about NEMA’s core values of service, integrity and humanity.

Responding, the NIgerian Security and Civil Defense Corps (NSCDC) representative, Mr Benjamin Tijjani, said service to humanity is a calling not just a responsibility that needed coordination, response, providing relief to affected persons and strengthening the preparedness.

Tijjani said the collective mission is to make the impossible possible and to ensure that hope endures even in the most challenging circumstances.

Newsmen reports that stakeholders pledged collaborative efforts toward strengthening a service culture where every Nigerian, no matter their circumstance, feels heard, valued, and supported.

The event featured display of disaster response and safety working tools, presentations, questions and answers.

It was attended by Federal Road Safety Corps (NSCDC), Police, Federal and State Fire Service, Read Cross Society, Emergency Nurses Association of Nigeria among others.

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The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has sensitised stakeholders on prevention of tanker fire outbreaks, while cautioning tanker and articulated vehicle drivers against speeding within roads in Anambra, Ebonyi and Enugu States.

The Director-General of NEMA, Mrs Zubaida Umar, gave the advice on Friday during a One Day Awareness Campaign and Sensitisation on Tanker Fire Accidents and Fire Outbreaks held in Enugu.

Represented by the NEMA Head of Operations in Enugu, Mrs Ngozi Echeazu, the director-general urged Nigerians to stop scooping fuel in a fallen petroleum tanker and “stay clear from such a scene to ensure safety”.

According to her, please when anyone sees a scene of accident or disaster, if it is safe, join in the rescue of Nigerians and not filming, not making video content or recording scene with your phones while people need your help.

“I urge road users to be sober and be safety concious while on the road. Tanker and articulated drivers should aviod alcohol and intoxicating substances, endeavour to maintain your vehicles and have enough sleep and rest before embarking on a long journey.

“Please ensure that the brake and lighting systems of your tanker or truck are working optimally and avoid wore out or retreaded tyres before embarking on journeys,” she said.

The director-general also condoled with families and friends of victims of tanker fire explosion within the South-East especially that of Ugwuonyema axis of Enugu-Onitsha Dual Carriageway early this year.

“I visited the spot of the incident, saw first hand the devastation, visited surviving victims in hospitals and ensured that relief materials were given to families of victims. However, after that incident and similar others, NEMA said the trend must stop,” she said.

Speaking, Chief Chinedu Anyaso, the Chairman of Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) Enugu Depot Unit, said that fuel tanker accidents and fire outbreaks could be contained when stakeholders work together and deploy regular training and retraining of drivers.

Anyaso, who was represented by the Secretary of the association, Chief Nnaemeka Iloafor, commended NEMA for taking up sensitisation against tanker accidents, adding that IPMAN would continue to support NEMA in its efforts to reduce disasters on the road.

“IPMAN is an association with the principle of safety first and in all our weekly meetings and fora we impress it on our members and drivers managing their tanker fleets never to compromise on safety standards,” the chairman said.

Corroborating, Rev. Boniface Okafor, First Deputy Chairman of Petroleum Tanker Drivers (PTD) Enugu Zonal Unit, appreciated NEMA for the sensitisation, while calling on the Federal and state Governments to fix deplorable roads that remained a contributory factor to tanker accidents.

“Many have gone ever among our members. The union within the past six months have fashioned out internal mechanism to check and ensure that tankers not road worth do not ply the roads and check the negative trend,” he said.

The Sector Commander of Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) in Enugu State, Mr Franklin Agbakoba, noted that 90 per cent of accidents on road are caused by human error or human negligence, adding that tanker drivers should “stop managing mechanical faults in their vehicles”.

Agbakoba, who was represented by Chief Route Commander, Okine Ugwube, urged tanker drivers not to joke with the routine check of their vehicles and ensure prompt repairs of mechanical and electrical faults of their tanker or articulated vehicles.

The Deputy Controller Fire in Enugu State, Mr Godwin Ezeora, urged tanker drivers to always have functional fire extinguishers and take courage to use it when the fire remained at its formative stage, while calling the nearest fire service for help.

 

The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) says no fewer than 25 lives were lost, 166 persons injured and 9,352 households directly affected by 2024 flooding in Enugu State.

The Director General of NEMA, Mrs Zubaida Umar, disclosed this in an address on Wedneday in Enugu during a stakeholders’ engagement on National Disaster Preparedness and Response Campaign (NPRC) 2025.

The stakeholders’ engagement is themed: “Strengthening Resilience, Enhancing Preparedness and Response: Taking Disaster Risk Management to the Grassroots to Save Lives, Restore Normalcy and Build Communal Resilience Across Nigeria.”

Umar, who was represented by a Director in NEMA, Dr Evans Ugoh, noted that 55,094 individuals were affected, and 3,001 households displaced within 2024 flooding in the state, while all these led to losses to communities, families and individuals.

On the engagement, the director general said that the programme was organised primarily to inform state and local governments and emergency management stakeholders about the 2025 seasonal climate predictions.

She said that the 2025 seasonal climate prediction and flood outlook was forecasted by the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NIMET) and Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency (NIHSA) respectively.

“This is with a view to reminding the stakeholders about their responsibilities in flood disaster management. We all know the impacts of flood in the society, and actions to be taking to prevent and mitigate the impacts as stakeholders in disaster management.

“NEMA have developed climate related risk implications, preparedness, mitigation and response actions to reduce the would-be impacts of the 2025 floods, based on the predictions by NIMET and NIHSA.

“The Agency have embarked on various activities aimed at preventing and mitigating the expected impacts of the disaster. The Agency has written to state governors informing them of the outcome of the 2025 climate predictions in their states,” she said.

Responding, the Director of Enugu State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), Mrs Chinasa Mbah, said that SEMA had written to chairmen of the 17 council areas in the state about the prediction and the roles expected.

Mbah noted that the agency had mapped out plans to carryout sensitisation as well as drainage and waterways monitoring within the flood prone communities within state as part of it down scaling plans.

“We are ready to collaborate with various stakeholders and agencies to see that our people are protected while losses are mitigated to the barest minimum,” she said.

The Commandant of NSCDC, Enugu State Command, Dr Elijah Willie, assured that the Corps is ready to respond to any emergency situation as the first responders operating closer to the people.

Willie, who was represented by a Deputy Corps Commandant, Mr Victor Duruegbesonu, said that NEMA, SEMA and disaster victims could reach the corps offices at local government and divisional office to get “rapid assistance”.

The State Coordinator of Local Emergency Management Committee (LEMC), Mr Emeka Oko, appreciated the support NEMA, SEMA, Nigerian Red Cross Society, Federal Fire Service and security agencies had been given to his committee to functional optimally.

“LEMC is ready to take the flood sensitisation to communities and the grassroots to ensure that negative incidents that occured in 2024 do not repeat itself,” Oko said.

In a related development, during a stakeholders’ flood sensitisation to Amechi Idodo community in Nkanu East Local Government Area (LGA), NEMA director general urged the community to imbibe good environmental practices; and ensure drainages and waterways are opened.

Responding, the Traditional Ruler of the community, Igwe Hyacinth Edeani, assured that his community would be faithful in carrying out NEMA’s instructions and advice for the benefit of all.

Edeani, who is also the Chairman, Council of Traditional Rulers in Nkanu East LGA, assured that he would ensure that the Community Flood Response Committee inaugurated by NEMA would be guided to function optimally to help in flood mitigation.

“As a community we are grantful to NEMA and SEMA assistance for some years now. We are joining hands with these agencies to do everything humanly possible to ensure no negative flood development take place here,” he assured.