ABUJA – (National Emergency Management Agency Report) – The Director General of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Mustapha Maihaja (Engr) has iterated that the Agency is working to build befitting Emergency Operations Centres (EOCs) for robust response to disaster situations in the country.
The disclosure was made while addressing participants in the on-going Emergency Operations Centres’ training facilitated by USAID in Abuja. He also revealed that his experience from the response to the 2018 flood in Nigeria shows that there require more improvement in the management of disaster situations.
“The 2018 flood in Nigeria has challenged us to improve on the way we do things, though we were able to support the states through the establishment of five territorial EOCs and national emergency operation centres. We are not resting on our oars, but we are forging ahead to sustain a befitting EOC for the country. As part of the way forward, we will continue to develop the capacity of staff to ensure that all principles and practices of disaster management are institutionalized,” he emphasized.
He appreciated the government of United States of America through USAID for partnering with NEMA in the capacity development of its staff, noting that the first training which was conducted in February on ‘Emergency Operation Centre Design Management and Incident Command System’ was very helpful and instrumental in the response to the 2018 flood.
Mustapha Maihaja requested USAID to sustain the partnership in support of NEMA towards evolving its programmes into global best practices and standards. He explained that NEMA’s engagement with USAID started in 2016 with Technical Advisors sent to the Agency to conduct capacity assessment of NEMA.
