Officials from the American Embassy in Nigeria paid a courtesy visit to the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA). The delegation was received on behalf of the DG Mrs. Zubaida Umar, by Director of Planning, Research, and Forecasting, Mr. Onimode Bandele and other Directors of the Agency.
The U.S. Embassy delegation, from the Citizens Services Unit, was led by Vice Consul Mr. Kofi Fox, accompanied by Ms. Ellen Giblim and Ms. Roseline Okworafor. The purpose of the visit was to advocate for the safety and well-being of American citizens residing in Nigeria, particularly regarding preparedness and response mechanisms during disasters and emergencies.
In his response, the representative of the Director General welcomed the delegation and appreciated the initiative to foster collaboration. He highlighted NEMA’s role and that of its stakeholders in emergency management and response in Nigeria. He emphasized the importance of the Embassy maintaining up-to-date information on its citizens, especially those involved in humanitarian missions, to enable better coordination during emergencies. The representative also outlined peculiar and recurrent emergency situations within the Nigerian context, including natural disasters and human-induced crises.
In addition, Mr. Emenike Umesi, Director of Human Resources Management, stressed the need to establish a formal protocol of engagement between NEMA and the U.S. Embassy to streamline communication and cooperation during emergencies.
The Director of Search and Rescue provided an overview of Nigeria’s search and rescue protocols, detailing how NEMA carries out its search and rescue operations in collaboration with other agencies. The Head of NEMA Airwing also shared insights into the operations of the Agency’s Mission Control Center (MCC) and its role in coordinating emergency response activities nationwide.
Furthermore, the Director of Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) presented NEMA’s approach to profiling disaster victims during and after emergency occurrences, ensuring targeted and efficient assistance to affected persons.
The visit concluded with mutual assurances of continued collaboration and capacity-building efforts to strengthen emergency preparedness and response, particularly for American citizens and other expatriates residing in Nigeria.
12.03.2025
