The National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA has been commended for its coordinated response to humanitarian crises in Nigeria.
The Anambra State Government in Southeast Nigeria gave the commendation when a delegation from the State Government paid a working visit to the Director General of NEMA, Mustapha Ahmed in Abuja, Nigeria.
The delegation, led by the Deputy Governor, Gilbert Onyekachukwu Ibezim, said the visit became necessary following the recent interventions in the State by the Nigerian Government through NEMA.
Speaking on behalf of the State Governor, Charles Soludo, the Deputy Governor said; “the primary purpose of the visit was to commend the Agency and to also strategise on flood preparedness and response in the State.”
Mr. Ibezim gave some insights on the flood-prone areas in Anambra State and the potential risks associated with the rainy season, the importance of proactive measures to mitigate flood-related disasters, protect lives, and safeguard property.
He also reiterated the importance of interagency cooperation and proactive planning to address the recurrent challenges posed by flooding in Anambra State.
Deputy Governor Ibezim and Director General Ahmed expressed their commitment to working closely to ensure the safety and resilience of communities in the State during flooding.
Responding, the Director General, of NEMA, Mustapha Ahmed said “The visit is a practical display of efforts towards building a strong collaboration between Anambra State and NEMA on disaster risk management and the building of community resilience.”
This, according to him, becomes even more important in the face of significant disaster and crises in Nigeria just as obtained in several countries of the world.
“We don’t pray for disasters to happen, yet disasters, crises, and emergencies are part and parcel of societal evolution throughout the history of humankind.”
He noted that most disasters can be averted or mitigated with simple deliberate actions.
“Avoiding the dumping of refuse on waterways and drainages in our cities can reduce urban flooding drastically. We must rethink our environmental and ecological civilization to avoid potential disasters. Urban and Regional Planning Authorities must avoid allocating land and granting building permits along waterways. Functional Local Emergency Management Committees and Community Volunteers must be set up in every Local Government Area with adequate funding and trained manpower,” he explained.
Mr. Ahmed restated the need for advocacy visits to the grassroots.
He said; “We must take disaster risk management to the grassroots. People in Local communities are the vital first responders that save lives before support arrives from state capitals or Abuja. Disasters are all local, the first responders must be at the local level.”
It is on record that NEMA distributed relief items comprising food and Non-food items, building materials, and livelihood option tools in Anambra State under the Special National Economic Livelihood Emergency Intervention. The intervention targeted persons affected by the 2022 flood disaster and those identified as the most vulnerable groups of persons under the multi-dimensional poverty indicators of the National Bureau of Statistics.
In the same vein, in 2022 during the flood season, NEMA activated its partners in the Disaster Response Units of the military to support Search and Rescue Operations as the situation escalated in Anambra State and led to a boat mishap that resulted in the loss of lives on the River Niger.
Mercy Chukwudiebere
