NEMA boss. Umar tasks stakeholders in S-East to improve on disaster mapping, response

By, Chinelo Kodilichukwu Enugu 

The Director-General of National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Mrs Zubaida Umar, has tasked stakeholders and customers in emergency management on technological-driven improvement on disaster mapping and response.

Umar, represented by the acting Zonal Coordinator NEMA South-East, Mrs Ngozi Echeazu, said this during a Meeting at NEMA South East Zonal Office in Enugu as part of activities to mark the commemoration of NEMA’s Customer Service Week.  

The Customer Service Week which started on Oct. 7 continues till Oct. 11, 2024 with the aim of  celebrating service in the organisation and the people who provide those services.

The event is with a theme: “Above and Beyond” was organised  by the Agency to appreciate teamwork, service delivery and further brainstorm with stakeholders/customers on ways to improve service delivery to Nigerians in emergency/disaster situations. 

Umar appreciated the numerous contributions of stakeholders/customers in areas of collaboration, swift response,  information gathering, team work, selfless services etc.

She called on stakeholders to embrace innovation and continuously improve our existing systems and processes to better serve the public and ensure optimal service delivery to the people.

The Director-General noted that “teamwork remains one of NEMA’s strongest assets’, adding that the complexity of emergency situations required collaboration/synergy,  across different tiers of government, sectors,  departments, NGOs, private sectors and external partners.

She said, “By working together, sharing resources/knowledge and supporting each other, we can achieve even greater success in fulfilling our mission.

“As we celebrate Customer Service Week, let us reaffirm our commitment to working above and beyond in achieving excellence in service delivery, innovation and teamwork in all that we do.

“Together, we will continue to build a stronger and more responsive agency that stands ready to serve the people of this nation in their times of greatest need above and beyond their expectations.”

On the theme, the Director-General urged emergency managers/stakeholders to remember that the quality of the services delivered could often be the difference between life and death and are above and beyond always.

“Our customers, whether they are victims of natural disasters, displaced persons or communities impacted by disasters rely on us to provide timely, efficient and compassionate assistance,” she added.

Corroborating, Mrs Chinasa Mbah, acting Head, Enugu State Emergency Management Agency ( SEMA), called on the emergency management stakeholders to serve with diligence and commitment “knowing that there is a reward for selfless and humanitarian service. 

“We should be focused on delivering the service and delivering it with humanitarian touch as it is clear that the risk you take to respond to a disaster is above the enumeration you get,” Mbah said.

The Traditional Ruler of Ugwogo Nike Community in Enugu, Igwe Emeka Ugwu, commended NEMA, SEMA and LEMC for their works in bringing succour and relief to victims of disasters in the state.

Ugwu, however, urged the Enugu State Government to check impending road disasters by stopping activities of traders trading along major roads within Enugu metropolis.

Mr Emeka Okoh, the Coordinator of Local Emergency Management Committee (LEMC), Enugu State, commended the enormous services of NEMA, which is aimed at reducing the burden of distress on persons/communities.

Mrs Eucheria Onwuegbuna, representing Nigeria Red Cross Society, Enugu State Chapter, lauded NEMA for organising the customer week and assured that Red Cross would continue to partner with NEMA, SEMA and LEMC in order to reduce the disaster risks.