By Daniel Oluwatobiloba Popoola
The Director-General of the National Emergency Management Agency, Zubaida Umar, has reaffirmed the agency’s commitment to proactive disaster management, emphasising strengthened collaboration with key institutions and stakeholders to enhance risk mitigation and community resilience across Nigeria.
Umar made this known on Monday, 4 May, 2026, while receiving a delegation from the Simulation and Crisis Management Directorate of the Department of State Services during a working visit to NEMA headquarters in Abuja, where discussions centred on improving preparedness, simulation planning and coordinated emergency response nationwide.
She explained that the agency is intensifying efforts to adopt a proactive, risk-informed approach, with a strong focus on early warning dissemination, preparedness, mitigation and coordinated responses to emerging threats.
According to her, the move follows the release of the 2026 Seasonal Climate Prediction by the Nigerian Meteorological Agency and the 2026 Annual Flood Outlook by the Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency, which prompted immediate strategic actions to address anticipated flooding during the 2026 rainy season.
Umar noted that NEMA had ramped up stakeholder engagements, convened technical coordination platforms and launched targeted sensitisation and advocacy campaigns aimed at encouraging state governments and vulnerable communities to take preventive measures against flood risks.
She stressed that collaboration remains central to effective disaster management, assuring the visiting delegation of the agency’s readiness to deepen partnerships in strengthening national preparedness frameworks.
“NEMA remains 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.
Umar further appreciated the visit by the Directorate, describing it as timely and strategic in aligning institutional efforts towards improved crisis response mechanisms.
Earlier, the Acting Assistant Director-General of the Directorate, Safiya Yusuf, said the visit was aimed at familiarising NEMA with its operations, particularly its role in providing critical support before, during and after emergencies.
She added that the Directorate is committed to working closely with NEMA to enhance institutional preparedness and strengthen national capacity for managing disaster and crisis situations.
