(http://www.nigeria.gov.ng/images/Director%20General%20of%20NEMA%20Muhammad%20Sani%20Sidi.jpg)
The Nigerian Government through the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has provided humanitarian support persistently to nineteen countries faced with emergency situations. The Director General of NEMA, Muhammad Sani Sidi told the gathering of the 2013 Humanitarian Affairs Segment of the United Nations Economic and Social Council in Geneva, Switzerland recently. The NEMA Boss posited that the help was extended at different times through cash and aid materials offered from the Agency in fulfilment of the country's foreign policy objectives and the aspirations of the South-South cooperation. He observed that the humanitarian gesture has resulted to closer cooperation between Nigeria and other countries regarding disaster management. "Nigeria has recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Gambia on exchange of information, assets and manpower for effective disaster management and humanitarian service delivery. Through the MoU, two technical personnel of NEMA are presently in Gambia to support the National Disaster Management Agency of Gambia (NDMA) to develop their institutional frameworks and capacity building"; Sani Sidi iterated. On the granting of some humanitarian relief donation through NEMA from the international community in aid of the Nigerian people, who at various times were affected by disasters, the DG of NEMA identified the donors as including UNFPA, JICA, KOICA, ECOWAS, the Islamic Development Bank, the Chad Basin Commission among others. He explained that the relief materials comprised cash and items from local and international sources. The NEMA Boss added that aside from donations, Nigeria has benefitted from international humanitarian actors who have contributed to disaster management in the country through partnerships in coordinated disaster preparedness and capacity development initiatives. The actors, he said include the Post Disaster Needs Assessment (PDNA) conducted after the 2012 flood; satellite imageries from the international charter on space on the major disasters caused in the states flooded in 2012 as well as engagement in the training of internationally recognized camp managers and camp coordinators. Also speaking at the council, the United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordination, Baroness Valerie Amos advised international humanitarian and development actors to work closely with governments and local authorities in order to efficiently and effectively address humanitarian issues in the communities. He said that the humanitarian affairs segment of the United Nation's Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) was organised under the auspices of the United Nations. He recalled that the Director General of NEMA, Muhammad Sani Sidi was recently elected to preside over the Regional Committee on Disaster Management of ECOWAS in recognition of the important roles played by Nigeria in the promotion of disaster issues.
Federal Republic Of Nigeria | nigeria.gov.ng