The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria, have reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening collaboration in disaster risk management, research, capacity building and institutional resilience.
According to an official signed statement by NEMA, the Director General of the Agency, Mrs. Zubaida Umar, gave the assurance on Monday during a courtesy visit by the Vice-Chancellor of Ahmadu Bello University, Prof. Adamu Ahmed, and members of the university’s management team to the NEMA Headquarters in Abuja.
Welcoming the delegation, Mrs. Umar reiterated NEMA’s commitment to expanding its existing partnership with the university, noting that collaboration with academic institutions is essential to advancing evidence-based disaster management, promoting research and innovation, and building national resilience.
She explained that the Agency has continued to reposition disaster management in Nigeria by placing greater emphasis on disaster risk reduction, early warning dissemination, public awareness, preparedness and resilience-building, rather than relying solely on emergency response.
The Director General added that NEMA has sustained nationwide sensitisation campaigns, strengthened collaboration with State Emergency Management Agencies (SEMAs), and promoted the establishment and effective operation of Local Emergency Management Committees (LEMCs) to enhance community-based disaster risk management.
Mrs. Umar stressed that disaster management begins at the community level and underscored the importance of partnerships with tertiary institutions in advancing disaster risk education, climate resilience, environmental sustainability, emergency preparedness, research and institutional capacity development.
In his remarks, the Vice-Chancellor of Ahmadu Bello University, Prof. Adamu Ahmed, commended Mrs. Umar for her leadership and the strides recorded by NEMA in disaster management and humanitarian coordination.
He described the NEMA Director General as one of the university’s distinguished alumni whose professionalism, integrity and dedication to public service continue to bring honour to the institution.
Prof. Ahmed said the visit also provided an opportunity to appreciate NEMA’s longstanding support for the ABU Centre for Disaster Risk Management and Development Studies, which has produced professionals serving in disaster management institutions across the country.
He noted that the university is seeking to deepen collaboration with the Agency in research, capacity building and disaster risk reduction to address the increasing challenges posed by climate change, rapid urbanisation and other emerging hazards.
The Vice-Chancellor also appealed for NEMA’s support in strengthening emergency preparedness within the university, particularly in addressing risks associated with ageing infrastructure, erosion, fire outbreaks and other potential disasters.
