FIC REPORT (BENUE STATE) –The Benue State Governor, Rev. Fr. Dr. Hyacinth Iormem Alia, has reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to strengthening collaboration with the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and other stakeholders to enhance disaster preparedness, risk reduction and emergency response in the state.
Governor Alia stated this on Thursday, September 17, 2026, at Riverside, Wadata, Makurdi Local Government Area, during the grand finale of the Full-Scale Flood Disaster Response Simulation Exercise organised by NEMA.
Represented by the Deputy Governor, Barr. Sam Ode, NNI, the governor described the two-day exercise as a significant opportunity to test existing emergency response systems, identify operational gaps, strengthen preparedness and deepen inter-agency collaboration, particularly in search, rescue and evacuation operations.
He commended NEMA and its partners for selecting Benue for the simulation exercise, noting that practical exercises of such nature were essential to ensuring that emergency responders remained adequately prepared to protect lives and property during disasters.
Governor Alia also appealed to the NEMA Director-General, Mrs. Zubaida Abubakar Umar, to fulfil her earlier commitment to establishing a Rehabilitation Scheme for Persons Impacted by Conflicts (RSPIC) in Benue State.
He said the intervention would support the restoration of livelihoods, reconstruction of affected communities and the safe and sustainable return of internally displaced persons to their ancestral homes.
The governor further pledged his administration’s continued support for the Benue State Emergency Management Agency (Benue-SEMA), as well as stronger collaboration with NEMA, security agencies, humanitarian organisations and other relevant stakeholders.
He stressed that the safety, protection and wellbeing of citizens remained a priority of his administration, adding that effective disaster management required sustained preparedness, coordination and timely response.
Earlier, the NEMA Director-General, Mrs. Zubaida Abubakar Umar, represented by the Director of Search and Rescue, Air Commodore B. A. Usman, said the exercise, code-named “UWÀR UMA,” meaning “Saving Lives” in Tiv, was designed to test and strengthen the effectiveness of flood preparedness, early warning, evacuation, search and rescue operations and inter-agency coordination.
She explained that Benue’s geographical and environmental characteristics, including its rivers, floodplains, seasonal rainfall and settlements located along the River Benue and its tributaries, made sustained flood preparedness particularly important.
According to her, the simulation provided an opportunity for participating agencies and organisations to assess their operational readiness and identify areas requiring improvement before an actual disaster occurs.
Mrs. Umar urged participants to carefully identify gaps in communication, logistics, coordination and emergency response mechanisms, stressing that lessons learnt from the exercise should be properly documented and integrated into the state’s Flood Emergency Response and Contingency Plan.
She noted that effective disaster management depended not only on the availability of equipment and personnel but also on clear communication, coordinated action, early warning and the ability of agencies to work seamlessly during emergencies.
The two-day exercise featured coordinated search-and-rescue, water rescue and evacuation operations, with the participation of NEMA, Benue-SEMA, security agencies, emergency responders, humanitarian partners and other relevant stakeholders.
The exercise was aimed at strengthening Benue State’s capacity to anticipate, prepare for, respond to and recover from flood-related emergencies while promoting a coordinated approach to disaster risk reduction and the protection of lives and property.
VERONICA AZEMBA
For Head of Center FIC Makurdi
