The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) on Thursday, 25th September 2025, hosted students and faculty members from the Centre for Disaster Risk Management and Development Studies (CDRM&DS), Nasarawa State University, Keffi, on an academic field trip to the Agency’s headquarters in Abuja.
The team was warmly received by the Director General of NEMA, Mrs. Zubaida Umar, ably represented by her Special Assistant, Hajiya Rakiya Bello Umar. In her remarks, Mrs. Zubaida Umar commended the university for its commitment to advancing disaster management research and education in Nigeria. She further assured the visitors of NEMA’s readiness to collaborate towards promotion of research, innovation, and manpower development in the field of emergency management.
The Director of Planning, Research and Forecasting, Dr. Onimode Abdullahi Bandele, highlighted the importance of bridging academic knowledge with practical field experience. He emphasized that effective disaster risk management requires a synergy of research-based insights and real-world exposure.
Also addressing the visitors, NEMA’s Director of Human Resources Management, Dr. Umesi Emenike, delivered a presentation on disaster management in Nigeria. He outlined the Agency’s statutory functions, organizational structure, and its pivotal role in coordinating national disaster preparedness and response. Dr. Emenike further stressed the need for continuous capacity building to meet the challenges of emerging disaster risks.#
On his part, the Director of the NSUK Centre, Professor Adamu Tanko Ogah, who led the delegation, explained that the field trip was designed to deepen the students’ knowledge of disaster preparedness, response, and recovery mechanisms.
As part of the practical sessions, the students were taken on a guided tour of NEMA’s Geo-Spatial Centre, where they observed how technology is deployed in disaster forecasting, mapping, and early warning systems. They also taken on tour of some the Search and Rescue equipment, where officers demonstrated the use of specialized tools, including the Mobile Intensive Care Ambulance and other life-saving assets.
The field trip provided the students with valuable exposure to NEMA’s operational frameworks and reinforced the Agency’s commitment to fostering knowledge-sharing partnerships in disaster risk management.
25th September 2025
