Nigeria: NEMA meets with the chair of the Disaster Management Governing Council and Vice President of the Gambia

Press release:

National Emergency Management Agency of The Federal Republic of Nigeria Meets with HE The Vice President of the Gambia who also doubles as the Chairperson of The Disaster Management Governing Council

The vice president and minister of Women's Affairs, Her Excellency Aja Dr. Isatou Njie-Saidy last Friday received in audience, members of the Nigeria Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) in her office at State House in Banjul.

The team was led to VP’s office by the executive director of National Disaster Management Agency (NDMA), Essa Khan. The visiting NEMA delegates were in the country for a two-day working visit to the NDMA, with a view to strengthening South-South cooperation as well as the sub-regional solidarity on disaster risk reduction.

The delegates were at State House to brief the vice president, who is also the chairperson of the National Disaster Governing Council about their return visit to the country, aimed at reciprocating a visit made by the NDMA in 2011, and also to strengthen the bilateral ties between the two agencies in the area of disaster risk reduction.

Speaking to reporters shortly after having audience with the vice president, Muhammad Sani Sidi, director general of NEMA, affirmed that the purpose of their visit is to strengthen the bilateral cooperation between the two agencies in a bid to attain disaster risk reduction.

Dilating on the key areas of collaboration with the NDMA, he disclosed that NEMA would assist the NDMA in terms of technical support such as capacity building, disaster risk reduction as well as integrated emergency management, among others. “Nigeria is ready and willing to provide the necessary technical support to the NDMA and its stakeholders to undertake courses in the six centres for disaster risk reduction and development studies,” he stated.

The NEMA boss further laid emphasis on capacity building as their main area of cooperation especially when the NDMA visited them in Nigeria last year. He disclosed that NEMA is sending two of their senior staff to work with NDMA in the area of capacity building. He said that NEMA would be inviting the NDMA and its stakeholders to participate in various capacity building programmes and simulation exercises in Nigeria.

He further disclosed that during the NDMA’s visit to Nigeria, the two agencies signed an MoU aimed at enhancing cooperation on emergency preparedness, response and mitigation. He finally commended the NDMA for laying a solid foundation in terms of disaster risk reduction strategy.