The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), and other stakeholders have stressed the urgent need to strengthen humanitarian coordination in Sokoto, Kebbi, and Zamfara states.
UNICEF’s Chief of Field Office, Mr. Michael Juma, made this known at a validation workshop jointly organised by the humanitarian affairs ministries of the three states with UNICEF’s support in Sokoto.
The Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) validation meeting was aimed at streamlining disaster response systems for faster and more efficient interventions.
Juma said the exercise marked a major step towards effective coordination of humanitarian services in the North-West.
“It begins with emergency trigger and notification, clearly identifying lead agencies, activation triggers and alert mechanisms. Search and Rescue arrangements follow, covering search and rescue team mobilisation, evacuation protocols and public communication,” Juma explained.
He described the SOP as a practical guide that sets clear procedures for humanitarian actors from the first trigger of an emergency to the deactivation stage, stressing that stronger partnerships among agencies are vital.
Also speaking, UNICEF Emergency Specialist, Mr. Olayinka Afolabi, said the SOP ensures that once an emergency is confirmed, state emergency operation centres and multi-sectoral coordination platforms are immediately activated.
He added that the process covers rapid needs assessment, operational planning, stock mobilisation, implementation, and service delivery, alongside monitoring and regular situation reports to keep the public informed.
In his remarks, Head of NEMA Sokoto Operations Office, Mr. Aliyu Shehu Kafindangi, represented by Head of Planning Unit, Mr. Tukur Abubakar, commended UNICEF and participants for their contributions.
“The developed draft SOP has reflected ground realities, designed to respond to emergencies like cholera, crises, and floods. This is coming at a time that stakeholders in disaster management described as timely due to the flood already affecting many communities,” Kafindangi said.
He noted that stakeholders had mapped institutional roles, streamlined communication channels, and agreed on operational workflows for different emergency scenarios, which would improve clarity of roles and strengthen interagency cooperation.
Participants at the workshop included officials from the Federal and State Fire Services, State Emergency Management Agencies of Sokoto, Kebbi, and Zamfara, NGOs, the Nigeria Police Force, disaster response units of the Nigerian Army, the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON), and the Ministries of Health and Agriculture.
PIAK