From David Onuoja, Abuja
The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), and UNICEF Nigeria, have reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening institutional collaboration on early warning systems and climate disaster preparedness in Nigeria.
The renewed partnership is said to form part of early preparedness effort aimed at enhancing the country’s capacity to effectively manage climate-related disasters in the 2026 risk season.
Speaking during the courtesy visit by the delegation from the UNICEF Country Office to the Director General of NEMA, Mrs. Zubaida Umar; the DG said, the visit underscored the imperative of early preparation and the deployment of cutting-edge technology to address climate-induced disasters.
She emphasised the importance of seamless information sharing among stakeholders to ensure timely response, safeguard lives, and protect vulnerable communities.
Mrs Umar also reaffirmed NEMA’s commitment to inclusive preparedness initiatives and the strengthening of a proactive early warning system ahead of the 2026 climate risk season.
While noting that climate change continues to intensify disaster risks across the country, making strategic partnerships and coordinated action more critical than ever in building national resilience.
According to her, “We are doubling down on the implementation of our disaster risk reduction initiatives to safeguard lives, protect critical infrastructure, reduce economic losses and build national resilience”.
On her part, the UNICEF head of delegation, led by the Emergency Manager, Mrs. Dorica Phiri, explained that the visit was aimed at strengthening engagement with NEMA as Nigeria’s coordinating agency for disaster management.
