NEMA DG Calls for Strengthened Capacity of State Emergency Agencies in Humanitarian Crisis Response

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By: Ahmed M Makarfi

The Director General of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Mrs. Zubaida Umar, has emphasized the urgent need to build the capacity of State Emergency Management Agencies (SEMAs) to effectively handle humanitarian crises across Nigeria.

She made this call in a paper titled “The Imperativeness of Building the Capacity of the Personnel of the State Emergency Management Agencies in Handling Humanitarian Crisis” delivered at the 2025 Second Quarter Meeting of the Forum of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) with Secretaries to the Government of States, held recently in Jos, the state capital of Plateau State.

The DG NEMA, represented by Fatimah Suleiman Kasim, Director of Special Duties, stressed that Nigeria’s increasing exposure to natural and human-induced disasters makes it imperative to strengthen SEMAs with adequate training, tools, and coordination mechanisms. According to her, enhancing the skills and preparedness of state-level responders would significantly improve the nation’s overall humanitarian response framework.

Present at the meeting were the Executive Governor of Plateau State, Barr. Caleb Mutfwang, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Sen. George Akume, and the Permanent Secretary, Political and Economic Affairs, Engr. Nadungu Gagare, alongside Secretaries to the Government from various states of the federation.

Other NEMA officials in attendance included the outgoing Zonal Director, Mr. Aliyu Waziri; the incoming Zonal Director, Mr. Razak Babatunde Adebiyi; and the Head of Operations, Jos Office, Mrs. Bintu Wana Aliyu.

The event provided a robust platform for federal and state government officials to deliberate on strengthening governance, improving inter-agency collaboration, and promoting resilience at national and sub-national levels in addressing security, humanitarian, and socio-economic challenges.

Published on

September 21, 2025, 22:34 +00:00

AUTHOR

Saratu Ashafa