The House of Representatives has commended the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) for its proactive measures in disaster management across Nigeria.
The commendation came from the House Ad-Hoc Committee on Flood Management and Response during an oversight visit to NEMA’s headquarters in Abuja.
Chairman of the Committee, Hon. Midala Balami, said the visit was aimed at assessing the agency’s level of preparedness and response, the strategies deployed, and the gaps and challenges it faces.
“Any time flood is mentioned in Nigeria, every eye and every attention is fully on NEMA. For us, we feel that there is much to be done despite a lot of effort that has been deployed by NEMA,” Balami said.
He noted that flooding continues to recur in some areas, making it important to review NEMA’s mandate and operations.
“We know that a lot of innovations have also been put in place, and in recent years, the House of Representatives has been very active. Our committee is specifically mandated to investigate and look at the root causes of flooding in Nigeria,” he added.
After inspecting NEMA’s Emergency Operations Centre (EOC), which aggregates real-time flood data and coordinates multi-stakeholder response, the Chairman expressed his satisfaction.
“This emergency operations centre has live data aggregated and agreed by all partners from the local level to the state level and to the national level. This has been one area of progress by NEMA that has helped them make decisions based on reliable information,” he said.
Balami pledged legislative support, especially in the area of funding, to strengthen flood preparedness and disaster management nationwide.
He stressed, however, that local structures must be empowered.
“Disasters happen at the local level, and the local level must be equipped with the capacity to respond effectively. Some of the delays we encounter in responding to disasters occur because NEMA cannot be everywhere. We need strong, effective, and efficient local emergency committees in all states of Nigeria,” he stated.
He further called for the establishment of at least one NEMA office in every state.
“What NEMA requires to ensure effective prevention, mitigation, and response is funding. We need more resources, but it is not just about money—it is also about strategically ensuring that all layers of mitigation, prevention, and response are in place,” Balami said.
In her remarks, the Director General of NEMA, Zubaida Umar, briefed lawmakers on the agency’s mandate, interventions, and challenges.
She highlighted proactive initiatives taken to mitigate and respond to floods and other disasters, while reiterating NEMA’s commitment to preparedness and community engagement.
“No community should be left behind in times of crisis,” she affirmed.